Heart of Courage
by RavenWingsFly
Summary: Matthias had always wondered what his destiny was, so he set out with his brother Berwald one day to find it. A strange Norwegian joins them, and Matthias finds himself falling in love with him, but so is Berwald. Soon Matthias is challenged to do anything to get the one he loves back, no matter what. Viking!AU Nordics. DenNor, onesided SuNor, SuFin in the future. Yaoi. Rated K
1. Chapter 1

**Matthias- Denmark**

**Lukas- Norway**

**Berwald- Sweden**

* * *

Matthias was never the superstitious type. He had walked under many ladders, seen dozens of black cats and broken countless mirrors; and he was still living. Faeries, trolls and goblins were just stories to him. Stories that your _mor_ or _far_ told you before you went to bed or when you were naughty. The Dane firmly believed that if you couldn't see it, it won't harm you.

But something happened one day that gave him second thoughts.

Crouching in the bushes, a signature smirk spread across his face, Matthias knew his so called 'wild goose chase' was at an end. _Steady now, Matthias._ He told himself. _You've been tracking him for days. Don't let him get away from you_. Stepping lightly in the snow, he moved behind a large boulder, watching a pure white stag step delicately between the trees.

There was a legend saying that if you hunted the white stag, he would show you your destiny and grant one wish, and you would go down in history. Remembered forever.. This was the only legend Matthias had ever believed, because his father was living proof.

_"I was so close to it that I could feel his breath." Erik said, tucking Matthias' five year old body with warm blankets._

_"What happened?" Matthias pouted, sorry for his father losing the chance to be remembered forever. "Didn't you do it?"_

_"I couldn't." Erik leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "I thought- why should I kill him for my own self gain? I walked away. That's when I met your mother." His face fell, remembering the fire that took out most of his land and livestock, as well as the love of his life._

_The small, wild haired boy stood up on the pile of furs, shaking the blankets off of him. "I promise! I'll find the stag for you! I'll bring mama back and find my destiny!" He declared, while Erik applauded._

_"Go to sleep. I'm tired." A small Swede muttered from under a mound of blankets._

_Erik patted the lump. "I'm sorry, Berwald. We'll all go to bed now. Good night boys." He tucked Matthias in for the upteenth time, kissed both of the boys foreheads and left the room, blowing out the candle._

Running a hand down the side of his longbow, Matthias strung it, feeling the feather of the arrow tickle his cheek. Taking in a deep breath of the icy air and letting it out silently, aimed for it's heart. This is for you, Mor and Far. I'm going to live up to your expectations.  
Just as he was about to let his arrow fly, a figure came out from the forest and approached the stag. At first Matthias thought he was another hunter, hoping to have a shot at the reward of killing it; but the stranger walked calmly up to the stag, saying something in an unknown language that sounded a little like Danish, but wasn't.

Deciding not to let this get in the way of his prize, Matthias let his arrow fly. The stag stepped back an inch and it missed him completely, burying itself in a tree. Matthias lowered his bow in disbelief. Not only was the figure smirking at him, but the stag seemed a little proud as well. He groaned quietly in disappointment, glaring up at the sky. When he looked back at the stag and the stranger, they were gone.

_It's not time yet. Be patient, young warrior._

The Dane looked around wildly for the body of the speaker, but seeing no one. Blinking in confusion, he decided that he was suffering from the cold, and needed to rest. Matthias ducked under an alcove of rock and was surprised to learn it was a tunnel. Deciding that nothing else could possibly go wrong, he went inside of it, blinking when he emerged into the bright sunlight.

Stepping inside the secret glade cautiously, Matthias unstrapped his axe from his back, just in case. Looking around at the snow laden trees he eventually decided that there was nothing here to harm him. Re-strapping his axe, he looked down at the frozen-over pond.

Something under the ice glowed an icy blue, pulsing like a heartbeat, beckoning him. Matthias let curiosity take the best of him, stepping onto the ice and looking down at the unknown light. He reached a hand down to touch it, pressing his fingers against the ice.

The weight was too much, and the ice groaned as it cracked, Matthias falling into the water.

All of Matthias' breath was forced out of him, letting the liquid that felt like cold fire enter his lungs. He struggled, trying to reach the surface blindly. His hand hit the ice above, and he weakly hit against it, the water quickly sapping his strength and hope. He wondered if Berwald would ever know what happened to his brother Matthias, and if he would live forever wondering where he went.

Someone grabbed his hand, pulling him out of the water. Dimly, as if from a dream, Matthias felt a firm hand on his chest. All of the water from his lungs suddenly came up, and he rolled over, coughing up water and bile.

"_Ro deg ned, alt er i orden._" He heard a voice said. Slightly monotone, but worried. It wasn't the voice he had heard earlier..The mysterious rescuer turned him over, brushing the Dane's hair away from his face.

Matthias found himself staring at the strange man who was with the stag earlier. Same blank expression, same platinum blonde hair with a piece sticking out and curling slightly, same piercing indigo eyes that Matthias swore knew everything. It was slightly terrifying.

Putting one hand on the Dane's forehead and keeping the other above his heart, the figure closed his eyes. "_Varm opp_."

A sudden warmth spread throughout Matthias' body, drying his clothes and chasing away the chill that was threatening to destroy him. He sat up, staring up at the stranger in amazement. "How-"

"Shut up." The figure stood up. "Something's behind you."

Falling for it completely, Matthias spun around. Seeing nothing out of the usual, he turned back to the stranger.

There was nothing other than him and the wind.

X X X

A tall blonde man looked up as Matthias entered the house. "Where have you been?" Berwald asked, standing up and crossing his arms. "You said you were going to be back by midday. It's sunset."

"I got sidetracked, sorry." Matthias apologized, placing some fowl he had hunted earlier on the table. "You never guessed what happened today."

Sighing, the Swede rolled his eyes. "What is it now?"

"I was saved by an angel." Matthias nodded, proud. "I almost died."

"Good for you. Now who's going to cook this?" Berwald pointed to the geese.

Shrugging, Matthias sat down in front of the fire. "I don't know. I can't cook at all. Anyways first I almost killed the white stag. It was right in front of me. Then this strange person came out of nowhere and warned it. Then, later I fell under the ice and was going to drown, but the same person rescued me. When I was all healed he just vanished."

Berwald sighed and walked over to Matthias, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Matthias. You're twenty three years old now. You have to stop being so foolish. There's no such thing as white stags. You probably fell asleep somewhere and dreamed it all up. And plus you are perfectly dry."

Pushing his hand away angrily, Matthias stood up. "I know what I saw." He said stubbornly, but he knew his younger brother was speaking sense. He always did. Why was Berwald so much more damn mature than he was?

"You made it all up. _Fader's_ death was too hard on you." Sighing, Berwald began plucking the goose.

"I know..." Matthias glared at the ground, then suddenly perked up, an idea having popped into his head. "Berwald, we should leave."

Berwald stopped from his work and looked up. "What?"

"Leave! Go find our own destinies!_ Far_ was always talking about things like that." Jumping up, Matthias began packing.

"But-" Berwald tried to put in his input, but Matthias wouldn't let him interfere.

"Destiny isn't a thing that someone has planned out, you have to make it yourself! We should set out tomorrow- go into the wilderness. Never look back. Maybe we can even-"

Berwald slammed his hand down on the table, making the optimistic Dane jump. "Matthias! Shut up!" He growled, then calmed down. "All I want in life is to settle down. With a loving family and a good home."

"Me too. But we're still handsome young men." Matthias put an arm around his little brother's shoulders. "We should live our lives, not waste it here. Besides- we might find the love of our lives when we're doing it. Consider the possibilities."

The Swede stared into the fire thoughtfully, arms crossed. A minute or two passed before Berwald sighed. "Fine. You win."

His face lighting up, Matthias hugged him. "_Tak bor_!" He squealed and ran out of the room happily as Berwald sighed and muttered something 'about that childish older brother of his.'

As he laid back and tried to go to sleep last night Matthias grinned. Now that he thought of it- the legend never said he had to kill the stag in the first place. Maybe it had shown him his destiny after all.

* * *

**((Far/Fader- Father **

**Mor- Mother**

**Ro deg ned, alt er i orden- Calm down, Everything's okay**

**Varm opp- Warm up**

**Tak- thank you**

**Bror- Brother**

**(all from google translate- please correct me if I'm wrong!)**

** Me and my best friend evah Deru were continuing a Nordic!Viking! RP and I decided HECK. Lets make an epic fanfic out of this! (because swinging on the swings at the park and listening to Two Steps from Hell music gives me inspiration) So i spent last night planning everything out and hopefully i don't stop writing it like i did Pangaea Boarding School and loose interest.**

**And yes, the title is from a 'Two Steps From Hell' song. *had no inspiration, and it seemed to fit***

**WAYYY to much talking. XD The first chapter is slightly uninteresting, but the plot will get going. I hope you guys enjoy it! Yes, its DenNor, with some one sided SuNor (i don't support/ship it, but we have to have some drama in there) and some SuFin waaaaayyy in the future.**

**Please rate and review and maybe even share? Stay beautiful everyone!))**


	2. Chapter 2

**Matthias- Denmark**

**Berwald- Sweden**

**Lukas- Norway**

* * *

The two brothers set out the next day, walking into the forest, snow crunching under their feet.

"So where are we going?" Berwald asked. "Do you have a plan?"  
"Uhhh...sure. Sure I do." Matthias stammered, smirking.

"So you have no plan."

"Of course I have a plan!" The Dane objected. "When do I not have a plan? My plan is the most amazing, adventure filled plan in the world. My plan-"

"You have no plan."

"Don't doubt the king of Denmark! Even in the heat of battle I will still have a cool head! I will always come up with the best battle strategies-"

"You have no plan."

"I have no plan." Matthias admitted.

Sighing, Berwald rubbed his temples. "Of course."

The Dane ran a hand through his gravity defying hair. "But no matter! We're making our own destinies! Nothing can go wrong if-"

Before he could finish his sentence he and Berwald were suddenly flung into the air, the ropes of a net surrounding them.

"What the hell?!" Matthias exclaimed. "Berwald get your butt out of my face! What's going on!?"

Purposefully ignoring the first part of what Matthias had said- the Dane suspected that Berwald thought he deserved it- the Swede groaned. "We've walked into a trap. _Tack _for that."

Squirming so his face was pressed against the net, Matthias rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on! How is this my fault?"

"Well let me see." Berwald pretended to think. "First you drag me off on a wild goose chase for our destinies-no, _your_ destiny, then you tell me you have no plan and now you walked us into a hunter trap that's suspended five feet from the ground!"

"Thats not all you've walked into."

A smug voice made the two brothers spin around. Or at least- they tried to. Squirming and shifting with muffled curses, Matthias eventually got in a position to see their attacker.

"Oh crap." The Dane muttered.

Bandits.

"Well, what do we have here? A Swede and a Dane." The bandit leader whistled as he walked around the net, inspecting them. He was almost as tall as Berwald, and probably a lot stronger too, but Matthias could tell that he was not just a little on the stupid side.

"Let us go, or else I'll kick your ass." Matthias hissed darkly, sky blue eyes narrowed.

The bandit leader threw back his head and laughed. "In your position? You're a joke." He signaled the other bandits and they surrounded the net.

"Don't let them take anything." Matthias whispered to Berwald.

Turning to face Matthias, Berwald gave him a look that clearly said 'do you really think I'm that stupid?.'

"Distract him while I get my axe." Matthias ordered quietly, squirming and trying to twist around.

Berwald blinked. "Hey. You." He nodded at the bandit leader. "Come here."

The bandit just smirked and looked up at him. "What is it Swede? You should know that I don't have any mercy on Swedes or Danes. Or anybody from that matter."

Matthias rolled his eyes as he grabbed his axe handle and tried to pull it free. That man was confident. Maybe a little too confident.

"Let us go." He heard Berwald say calmly, and the bandit's maniacal laughter once again.

"You think you can ask politely?" The bandit unsheathed a small knife. "I'm not the type of person that lets people leave alive. And tell the idiot Dane to stop trying to reach his weapon, you won't live much longer." The bandit's confident smirk was replaced with a dark scowl, and Matthias could tell he meant every single word of what he said.

"What do we do?" Berwald whispered to him.

Matthias glared darkly at the bandit, not answering for a few seconds. He hid his fear under a scowl. "I don't know." He whispered back, turning to him. "Die with honor?"

When he looked back at the bandit leader he was right in front of him, an insane smile etched across his face. "You chose wisely." He whispered, and thrust in knife into Berwald's' stomach.

From seemingly out of nowhere a hammer flew from the trees and hit the back of the bandit leader's head, caving in his skull. He fell to the ground, instantly dead.

"The hell-" The net suddenly fell to earth, the rope holding it to the tree cut. Matthias cried out in pain as gravel dug into his cheek. He felt someone kick him gently in the side, and saw a pair of brown leather boots.

"Get up unless you want to die." Matthias' eyes widened. He knew that voice. Looking up his breath caught in his lungs as sky blue eyes met cold indigo.

"What did I tell you? Get the hell up." The strange man bent down and removed the hammer from the bandit's skull. "Take care of the bandits while I help your friend."

Nodding mutely, the Dane jumped up, unsheathing his axe and stepping in front of Berwald and the stranger. He analyzed the surrounding bandits. There were four, and seemed slightly disorganized. If Berwald was alright they could easily take them, even without the strangers help. But since the stranger was a little pre-occupied with Berwald and Matthias was alone, he would have to face them himself.

With a roar the Dane swung his axe at one of the bandit's head. The bandit easily stepped out of the way while another ran his knife down Matthias' leg, and yet another slashed at his cheek before he could recover.

Wiping the blood from his face, Matthias turned to the defensive. He wasn't here to attack them, but protect his brother. Using all of his focus and strength to block out their attacks, his signature smirk spread across his face. Hearing a sickening crunch and a small cry behind him, Matthias turned around to see that a bandit was trying to sneak up on him, but now had a hammer in his skull.

"Be quick. These bandits are fast." The stranger advised, picking up his hammer and flinging it with deadly accuracy at another. "Theres only two, so I'll take them. Guard the Swede."

Matthias nodded and ran to check on Berwald. "Are you okay?" He asked. Berwald nodded weakly. "It's just a small cut. Nothing serious." They both turned to watch the stranger take out the last two like a whirlwind of vengeance. Not even saying goodbye, panting slightly, the stranger hooked his hammer to his belt and began walking away.

The two brothers exchanged a glance before instantly jumping up and following him.

"Wait!" Since Matthias wasn't hurt much he was the first to reach the stranger. "Where are you going?"

"Why is it your business what I do?" The stranger replied, cold as the air around them.  
Matthias was tempted to roll his eyes, but he wanted to stay on the stranger's good side. "First of all- you're the one who saved me yesterday." He turned to Berwald. "He's the one who saved me yesterday."

Berwald said nothing, but raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"As would anyone who saw someone dying. Now leave me alone." Said the stranger.

Feeling especially stubborn today, Matthias shook his head. "No. At least tell us your name."

With a small sigh, the stranger stopped and turned to face them. "I'm Lukas." He crossed his arms, delivering a cold gaze that nearly made Matthias shudder. "Now will you leave?"

"_Nej_. You're going to tell us our destinies." The Dane demanded.

Rolling his eyes, Lukas sighed. "And how do you think I'll know that?"

"Well...aren't you a spirit of some kind?" asked Matthias, getting confused. "Don't you have some sort of magical...um...things that can help?"

Lukas laughed. Not a warm, friendly laugh that you shared with friends, but a cold, mocking laugh that made Matthias' face burn. "A spirit?" He asked, a sneer on his face. "I am just a normal human like yourself. Well...a less stupid one, I should say."

Ignoring the insult Matthias crossed his arms. "How did you warm me up when I fell under the ice yesterday?"

"Matthias. Stop being an idiot." Berwald finally spoke up, rolling his eyes slightly. "He's a mage. He healed my wound a little."

"...oh..." Matthias muttered, staring at the ground and feeling his face flush red.

"Besides." Lukas began walking again. "If you want to know your destiny go and find it. Asking people won't do anything. Even certain events can signal your destiny, but most people are too stupid to realize that it is."

Something inside Matthias' head clicked. A big grin spreading over his face, he grabbed Lukas and Berwald's arms. "I just figured it out!"

"That you should leave me alone? Good job." Lukas spat sarcastically.

"No. What our destiny is." Matthias stated. Lukas and Berwald exchanged confused glances.  
"Is he like this all the time?" asked the Norwegian.

Berwald sighed. "I'm afraid so."

Continuing on like nothing happened, Matthias said "Lukas came out of nowhere and saved our butts from the bandits right?"

"Matthias what are you getting at-"

"Shush Berwald. We three should do the same!"

"Attack people and get our butts kicked?"

"Just shut up and listen to me. We should go and track down bandits, beating them and bringing the goods back to their owners. First Berwald or Lukas will scout them out, then I'll come out with a battle plan and then we'd attack! It will be perfect." Matthias stepped back and grinned at them. "Well?"

"Matthias." Berwald said sternly. "That is the most stupid idea I've ever heard. We should just go home and live out our lives norma-"

"I'm the leader. And I get my own bed." Lukas turned on his heel and began walking.

Staring at the Norwegian in surprise, Berwald and Matthias exchanged glances. One happy and excited, the other a death glare that could kill. With a little shout of triumph, Matthias ran after Lukas, Berwald close behind.

Sighing slightly, Lukas shot Matthias a glare. "I was hoping you wouldn't follow. But I guess your curiosity took the best of you." He continued before Matthias could interrupt. "First of all- I'm the leader. Not you, not Berwald, me. You two haven't even left your village ever since you were born there, so you know nothing of the world outside. You don't even know how to fight properly."

That remark stung a blow to Matthias' pride. His father, Erik had been an excellent swordsman, and taught Matthias and Berwald as much as he could before he died. Knowing that insults wouldn't bother Lukas at all, Matthias bit his lip to hold back the fiery words, sending Lukas a glare that Berwald would be proud of.

Apparently he wasn't disturbed by glares either, as the Norwegian went on talking. "And your pride. You have an ego the size of a whale. Either cure it or take it under control. And Berwald- stop relying on Matthias for everything."

The last remark nearly made Matthias stop in his tracks. He glanced at Berwald, who was walking quietly and not looking at anyone. Feeling a little proud and a little guilty that Berwald relied on him, Matthias turned back to Lukas. "And you should stop being so cold hearted. Smile! Be happy!" He prompted, nudging him.

As a reward, Lukas smacked him upside the head. "Do not talk back to your leader." He hissed. "Anyways, there's a town up ahead. We'll stay there and asked for the whereabouts of the bandits. Is that a satisfactory plan for you, big head?"

"Yes." Matthias said, then realized he responded to the insult and smacked himself.

As Lukas' cold and taunting laugh rang through the air, accompanied by Berwald's deep chuckle, Matthias couldn't help but join in with his own airy and very loud laugh. Smiling to himself as he ran a finger across the cut on his cheek- his cuts were barely scratches- Matthias knew that they would get along just fine. With Lukas' cleverness, Berwald's level head and Matthias' enthusiasm they could reach the stars.

* * *

**Nej- No (in Danish)**

**Tack- thanks (in Swedish)**

**((Yay for chapter 2! 8D Hopefully this one was a tad bit more exciting for you guys. I hate being characters with no names (Almost named the bandit Dickinson, but that would just be a little crude. XD) Referring to Lukas as 'the stranger' was getting tiring. Thank god I don't have to do it anymore! :3**

**Thank you so much for reading! Please favorite, follow, review and share!**

**Stay beatutiful!))**


	3. Chapter 3

Matthias was rudely awakened from his sleep by the sharp toe of a boot slamming against the side of his head.

"Wake up. You're sleeping in late." Lukas stood over him, arms crossed and sending the Dane a death glare.

With a groan, Matthias slowly sat up. "Sorry." He yawned, stretching. "I just wished we reached that inn before nightfall." He looked over at Berwald, who was also just waking up. "Morning, Berwald."

The Swede's reply was just a grunt as he got up to stand next to Lukas.

Jumping up, Matthias poked Lukas' forehead. "Alright mister 'I'm in charge.' Where to?"

Lukas grabbed his hand before he could get poked again and twisted it slightly, making Matthias cry out slightly in pain. "Weren't you listening last night? We're going to the village, see if there's any sign of bandits and tracking them down."

"I know. I know." Matthias muttered, rubbing his wrist. "I just meant which direction."

"North." The Norwegian replied promptly, then turned on his heel and began marching through the forest. Berwald and Matthias followed close behind, the Dane chattering excitedly and earning many eye-rolls and exasperated sighs.

"And many years from now-" He was saying, playfully kicking some snow out of the way. "- People will tell tales about us. About the fearless Berwald, the brave Matthias and the clever and witty Lukas."

"So you're saying I'm not brave or fearless?" Lukas challenged, night sky eyes flashing dangerously.

"_Nej_! Of course not!" The Dane stammered, thinking fast. "I'm just saying that your best feature in a fight is your mind. You're pretty smart."

To his surprise the Norwegian blushed, turning his face away from the two. "_Takk_...I guess." He said quietly.

Something about his blush made Matthias grin. For a heartless and cold man he did have a cute blush. _The hell? Matthias you're a weirdo._ He told himself._ A sexy, handsome weirdo, but a weirdo all the same._

Berwald nudged him. "Are you alright?" He asked. "You fell silent."

'I'm fine, little brother." Matthias ruffled his hair, which made the Swede scowl. "Just thinking about the future."

"Of course you are." Berwald muttered. "And when this all fails I'll be the one to say 'I told you so' and bring you back home."

Looking back at Berwald, Lukas smirked. "That's the longest thing I've ever heard you say."

A bright shade of red flushed Berwald's face, making Matthias stare. What is it with today and blushing? He wondered.

"We're almost there." The Norwegian announced, pointing at the village up ahead. "Don't say anything stupid or unnecessary. Matthias- don't say anything at all."

"Why not?" The blonde man asked. "Just because I joke around a lot doesn't mean I'm stupid."

"I don't exactly trust you yet." Lukas admitted coldly. "Just follow my lead."

Swinging his hammer over his shoulder, Lukas walked boldly into the village, making a beeline to some merchant's tents that were set up in the snow. Matthias decided that in this instance he should actually listen for once and followed silently, with Berwald at his heels.

"_Hei_." Greeted Lukas, who began picking out some supplies to buy. "Have there been any sign of bandits around here?"

The shopkeeper glared at Lukas, nearly matching up to coldness of the other's gaze. "Why are you asking such a question? Only a fool could go looking for trouble."

"So there has." Matthias spoke up, being rewarded with a warning smack upside the head. He continued anyway. "We're bounty hunters."

The shopkeeper crossed his arms. "If you can bring back the goods they stole, than anything you might need is on the house."

Flashing Lukas a victorious smirk, Matthias nodded. "Alright. What do you know of them?"

"They have a camp near the mountains, in a small cave." The shopkeeper took out a piece of parchment and a stick of charcoal and began drawing a crude map. "There's about ten or eight of them. Twice more than the men we have here. The leader is smart- so you'd better be on your guard." He passed the map to Matthias, but Lukas promptly snatched it up before the Dane could take it."

"_Takk._" He said stiffly, beginning to walk away. "And good day."

"Good day ma'am."

Lukas froze, and slowly turned to the shop keeper. "What did you call me?"

The shopkeeper laughed, his voice hoarse with old age. "I'm sorry. I guess I must of thought you were a woman. I apologize."

"Do I look like a woman to you?" Lukas bristled. Matthias began counting in his head how much they would have to pay for this man's funeral.

"Well..." Scratching his beard, the shopkeeper sent him a sly smirk. "I've seen a'many flat women around here. And seeing that you're a bit more woman-like and prettier than most men I thought you might be one. And you look a bit delicate as well."

"Well now that you mention it-" Matthias began to say, inheriting the other man's sly look, but Lukas slapped him across the face. "Shut up!" He hissed darkly, then spun around to the other man.

"I apologize, but you must be mistaken." He said coldly. With a blank expression he grabbed a laughing Matthias and chuckling Berwald by the ears and began to march them off.

Just like a woman would do too. Matthias thought, which made him laugh more.

Once they were out of earshot, Lukas spun around at them, furious. "Stop laughing or so help me I will kill you." He spat.

Matthias managed to stop laughing for a moment and calmed down. "Yes. Of course_ kære mor_." He and Berwald exchanged a glance before laughing yet again.

"S-stop!" Lukas yelled, turning that lovely shade of pink that made Matthias' sly grin appear again. "Anyways we have to concentrate on this. We'll split up and scope the village. Ask anyone on the streets, but don't press them if they don't want to tell you. I'll take the north side, Matthias will take the east and Berwald will do the west. And please do not scare any children, we do not want their parents at your throats."

"But..." Matthias stopped him before he left. "Can't you just use your magic? It'll be faster. And easier."

With a deep breath Lukas turned to him. "Magic doesn't mean you have limitless power. There's an equal exchange for everything. The most I do is heal serious wounds, and in the end it drains my energy. Besides, it's almost cheating in a way."

Matthias nodded, not understanding as much, but knowing it would get him nowhere if they argued. "Alright. See you in a bit."

X X X

At sunset they met back in front of the shopkeepers tent.

"What information did you find?" Lukas asked.

"They're living in a cave up North in the mountains, there's about nine men, most of them me or Berwalds height." Matthias stated. "They've taken mostly jewelry, but they did manage to nab some goods as well."

"You actually listened for once. I'm impressed." The Norwegian teased. "I found out pretty much the same."

"Me too." Berwald imputed.

"I even managed to find exactly what cave they're staying in." Said Lukas, signaling the others as he began to walk. "We're going to spy on them, but you stay silent and do everything I say. This is critical."

X X X

"There they are." Lukas whispered from where they were hidden behind a big boulder. "Heh...they're so stupid. This will be easy."  
Matthias turned his mind to battle tactics. "There's a few standing guard away from everyone else. We could quietly take them out. Then we can lure some of them out from the campfire and take them out as well. That would leave about...four or three left. Then it would be a piece of cake."

Berwald and Lukas turned to stare at Matthias, who squirmed uncomfortably in their gaze. "It was just a suggestion." He muttered, wondering if his idea had been that bad.

"No...amazingly enough it's a pretty good idea." Lukas admitted. "Are you two ready?"

The two brothers nodded.

The Dane unsheathed his axe, a grin spreading over his face. "Of course. When am I not?"

X X X

Matthias wished he could've somehow saved the image of the shopkeeper's face when they placed the stolen goods under his face.

"I...but...how did you..." The shopkeeper stammered, eyes wide. He cautiously went through the pieces of jewelry, as if they would disappear before his eyes if he took too long.

Lukas leaned casually against the pole of the tent. "A deal's a deal."

The shopkeeper nodded. "O-of course...take anything you need. Anything you like!"

With a slight smirk, the Norwegian began going through the goods, putting anything they needed in the bags.

"You too." The shopkeeper said to Matthias and Berwald. "Take anything."

The Dane shook his head. "Nej tak. Lukas is getting everything for all of us."

"I insist. Just take something." The shopkeeper dug through the jewelry and handed him a small cross clip. "Here. Take this. Save it for your sweetheart."

"Uh..._tak..._." Matthias ran a finger over the intricate design etched on the silver clip's surface. With a smile he slipped it into his pocket. "You know what, I think I will. _Tak_."

"Matthias stop messing around. We're going to the inn to sleep." Berwald tapped his shoulder. "Lukas already left. We'd better catch up."

"Alright." The Dane turned to the shopkeeper and gave a nod of thanks, then turned and followed Berwald.

"Hmph. What took you so long?" Lukas asked as they walked in. He stood in front of them, arms crossed.

"We were right behind you." Berwald said quietly.

Matthias looked over Lukas' shoulder. "You realize they only gave us one bed, right?"

There was a slight pause as they looked at the lone bed, then at each other.

The phrase 'And all hell broke loose' wouldn't even cover a third of what happened next.

"Lukas...I swear you broke my arm." Matthias groaned, laying back on the pillows and panting.

The Norwegian rolled his eyes, his head laying on Matthias' chest. "Shut up. You deserve it. Besides my face is going to be purple tomorrow. Berwald, are you alright?"

"_Ja_." Berwald grunted. His face was squished against the wall.

"Next time...let's just share the bed or sleep on the floor." Lukas decided.

"Aye, aye captain."

"_Ja_."

Lukas rolled over on his side. "Anyways I'm rather comfortable. _God natt_."

"Maybe that's because you're squishing me and Berwald?"

"**_God natt._**"

Matthias grinned and watched Lukas, who almost instantly fell asleep. (Lucky Lukas and Berwald. They both seemed to have that mystical power. Matthias, however, did not.) The Norwegian shifted in his sleep so that he was facing Matthias, his head still resting on the Dane's chest.

Unable to resist, Matthias reached out and gently poked the Norwegians strand of hair that always stuck out.

A blush instantly spread over Lukas' face. The Norwegian tensed up, curling into the fetal position while Matthias held back the urge to laugh. Lukas actually looked a little less stern when he was asleep, almost smiling as he relaxed once again. He usually hid everything under an expressionless mask, so it was nice to see him smile. His platinum blonde hair was flopped cutely in front of his face and his mouth was slightly open.

A sudden flash of pain went through Matthias' chest, and he blinked in surprise. _The hell?_He wondered if Lukas or Berwald had accidentally scratched them in their brawl for the bed, when it hit him like one of the Norwegian's punches.

He was falling in love with Lukas.

* * *

**((Tak/Takk- Thanks/Thank you**

**Nei/Nej- No**

**Ja- Yes (its kinda obvious. XD)**

**kære mor- mother dear**

**Godd natt- Good night**

**Sorry for the crumminess of this chapter. I was loosing inspiration near the end and I was too lazy to write the action scene. But they did defeat the bandits. (i bet they were stupid ones too.)**

**Dear Norway- PLEASE DON'T KILL ME FOR ADDING THE SHOPKEEPER GUY. ~Raven. Seriously, once the idea popped into my head I could not resist. 83 I might make the shopkeeper guy come back. Or keep him around for filler stuff. I think his name might be Jaun or Morice. :3**

**BTW- the 'little strand of hair' from norway is his curl. Yesh, he does have one. (like in this picture- . )**

**Thanks for reading! Please favorite, follow review and share! Stay beautiful! ))**


	4. Chapter 4

A few months later Lukas tapped Matthias' shoulder. The Dane looked up from sharpening his axe. "Hmm? What is it?" He asked, standing up straight.

"I found our next target." Lukas replied, opening a map.

Matthias grinned. "Finally! We haven't found anyone since those Vargas bandits." Ah, the Vargas brothers. They put up a good fight, until the younger one got a tiny cut. Then the most trouble they had was stopping the young Italian man from crying. "So who are we tracking?"

"They call them the Face family. Made up of two fathers and two sons. Francis, Arthur, Alfred and Matthew. They live further South." Said Lukas, pointing to the map at a small forest. "Since the ice melted, it's going to be a little hard getting over the river, but we'll manage somehow."

"Of course." The Dane nodded. "Should I tell Berwald?"

"Yes. It would be preferable."

Taking the map from Lukas, Matthias ran to where the Swede was currently checking supplies. "_Hej!_Berwald! We have our next target!" He announced cheerfully.

Berwald looked up at Matthias with tired eyes. "Matthias? Can I trust you to keep a secret?"

Matthias thought for a moment. "..._Nej._"

"We'll I'm going to tell you anyway and trust you, idiot." His brother muttered, standing up. Berwald took a deep breath. "I...um...I think I'm..."

"You're what?" Matthias was genuinely curious now. "Are you turning into a girl? Because that would be really awkward-"

"No! Of course not!" The Swede rolled his eyes. "I...I think I'm in love...with Lukas."

A sudden fury came over Matthias. "B-but I'm in love with him!" He interjected, crossing his arms and scowling slightly.

Over the months, instead of disappearing like they usually did with crushes, his feelings for Lukas grew and doubled in size. Now Matthias realized that he had fallen head over heels for the strange Norwegian. Many nights were spent on him thinking up plans to get Lukas to smile.

"You are?" Berwald blinked. "This can't be good."

"Nope." Agreed Matthias. "Before we follow pretty much any childrens story and fight to the death- how about we make a deal? We both try to win Lukas' heart. The one who gets Lukas to kiss him-not kiss Lukas, gets Lukas to kiss him- wins. The winner gets Lukas, but the loser has to give them their blessing and not kill the winner."

The Swede nodded. "Sounds good. Besides, I don't want you killing me."

"Oh, getting cocky are we?" Matthias grinned and held out his hand. Berwald shook it. "The game is on."

X X X

"Alright listen up!" Lukas kicked both Berwald and Matthias awake the next day, standing over them. "This is our plan, so pay attention because I'm only going to say it once."

Matthias nodded sleepily, sitting up and yawning. "Yup, I'm listening."

"Me too." Berwald watched Lukas intently, waiting for orders.

The Norwegian sat down in front of them both, laying out a map. "Here's our plan, first we have to actually reach their camp in the south. Since it's spring and the ice is melting, we'll have to make a detour."

Matthias tried not to let his mind wander, but as he watched Lukas talk, he couldn't help it._ Odin, Lukas looks so cute when he's concentrating. He's still expressionless, but he's biting his lip slightly. I wonder if he was blank faced as a kid too._

"So then after that we'll make a turn here into this forest, travelling in it for about maybe a day? We should reach their forest by then."

_I wonder if Lukas had any lovers before. Probably. He's like an angel. A snow angel. He has the prettiest eyes. Like the sky before the Northern Lights appear._

"We'll take turns spying on them in pairs, making sure to stay silent and watchful."

_Maybe I should take him to see the Northern Lights when they appear next. It's romantic, and we'd just have to find a clear field to watch them under. Wait- what if he has already seen them a billion times and doesn't want to see them anymore? Okay I need to think of a backup plan._

"Then we'd make up our battle plan and attack when we're ready-"

_Eh, if he didn't like it I'd do something smooth and save the night. I'm the amazing king Matthias, after all. I will live up on that title. King Matthias and Queen Lukas. Eh, sounds about right. Amazing King Matthias and his loving Queen Lukas. Yup. Perfect._

"Berwald will nab the goods-"

_What will I be king of though? I'd probably have to go to some island and take over it or something. It would be called...something amazing. Something me. I'll name it after Lukas! Lukasland. Sounds epic. It's a perfect plan._

"Matthias."

_Yeah! If I conquer a land and name it after him, Lukas would be so amazed he would choose me! Then Berwald would be forever alone, but who cares anyway._

"Matthias."

_He'd find someone, I know it. But he knows Lukas and I are the perfect match. I can handle his blankness and Lukas can handle my...amazingness. Sure he smacks me around, but I believe its out of love._

"MATTHIAS!" Lukas smacked him.

"OW!" Matthias rubbed his cheek. "What is it?"

"I've been trying to get your attention for five minutes." The Norwegian hissed. "You haven't been paying attention at all, have you?"

"Yes I have!" Matthias protested.

Lukas crossed his arms. "Fine. If the bandits begin to attack and overwhelm us, what do we do?"

"Um...retreat?"

"Yes, but that was a question, Not an answer." Lukas rolled his eyes and groaned slightly. "Why weren't you listening?"

"You were distracting me." Matthias said evenly, grinning slyly. Berwald behind Lukas sighed. He knew what was coming.

Cold indigo eyes glared daggers at Matthias. "Oh really? How?"

"Your beautiful eyes." The Dane said simply. "They're hiding something, a secret. I was trying to figure out what."

A small blush appeared on Lukas' cheeks, telling Matthias he was victorious. "Stop trying to flatter me." Lukas snapped. "You're still in trouble."

"But it's working." Matthias pointed out. His reward was another smack upside the face.

"Shut up." The Norwegian stood up, walking towards the horses. "Since we're all packed we should start travelling. I'll explain the plan as we ride." He and Matthias mounted and looked at the last horse's empty saddle. "Where's Berwald?"

"Here." Berwald trudged from the forest, handing a small, delicate blue flower to Lukas. "For you."

"O-oh..." Lukas took it, inspecting it. "Um..._.takk_."

Berwald nodded and shot Matthias a triumphant look as they began to ride. Matthias in return stuck out his tongue at the Swede.

_The battle is on_, bror.

X X X

Matthias sulked as he sharpened his axe. Berwald and Lukas were out hunting, and because he had made Berwald's horse throw the Swede- and he deserved it- he was told to stay and wait here. Matthias guessed they were hunting together and laughing and enjoying each other's company. The thought made Matthias want to break something.

_Crack._

Blinking, Matthias looked down at the stone he was using to sharpen his axe. A large, dangerous crack ran down the middle, cutting into the Dane's hand slightly. _How the hell did I do that?_He threw the rock into the forest and gave up sharpening his axe for now.

"_Hei_. Matthias."

Matthias looked up, surprised to see Lukas. "_Hej_Lukas!" He grinned, glad that Berwald was nowhere to be seen. A large bundle in the Norwegian's arms caught his attention. "What's that?"

Lukas shifted his weight and pulled apart some of the blankets to reveal a small child's face. "My new little brother. I found him in the snow."

The Dane stepped closer to look at the sleeping child. "...he has white hair..."

"So?" Lukas shrugged. "My hair's almost white." True, it was a very fair blonde.

The child awoke, blinking around and staring with wide, fearful violet eyes at the two men. _"M-móðir?_" He squeaked.

"Icelandic. Probably brought over by vikings, then abandoned. Poor thing." Lukas brushed a kiss against the child's head. "What's your name?"

"E-Emil." The albino said quietly. "Where's _móðir_?"

Lukas shot Matthias a worried glance, telling him to be quiet. "Your mother isn't here anymore." He murmured, beginning to rock him. "But I'll be here. I'll be your big brother. My name is Lukas, and that's Matthias. There's Berwald too, but he's not here."

_"Stóri bróðir."_Emil leaned into Lukas and fell back asleep.

Matthias watched with a small smile. He had never seen Lukas so tender and caring towards anyone before. There was even a slight smile threatening to appear across Lukas' face as the Norwegian began to hum a lullaby, holding the small child gently like he was his real older brother.

"You're a good brother." Matthias whispered, as not to wake Emil. "I could never do that."

"I'm sure you could." Lukas replied, not looking up. "Don't doubt yourself."

"_Tak._" Matthias put a hand on his shoulder. "Did you realize you just complimented me?"

With a scowl-and a blush- the Norwegian brushed off his hand. "Believe what you wish." He replied hotly.  
"Of course." Matthias laughed.

Berwald finally arrived. "What's going on?" He stared at the child in Lukas' arms.

"I found a little brother. We're keeping him." Lukas said shortly. "No exceptions."

"But what about when we attack the bandits? What will we do with him?" The Swede countered.

The Norwegian walked back to his horse, putting Emil in one of his backpacks and slipping the straps over his shoulder. "We'll leave Emil at camp. He can be trusted."

"How do you-"

"Get on your horse, Berwald."

With a sigh Berwald followed suit, riding behind Lukas. He leaned over slightly to Matthias, who was next to him. "You realize what this means, right?" He whispered.

"What does it mean?" Matthias whispered back, confused.

"Lukas will give more attention to the kid, than to us." Berwald replied. "That gives us less chances to connect with him."

"Damn, you're right." The Dane nodded, but then shook his head. "But we'll just have to live with it. The kid's cute anyways. And you didn't see how happy Lukas looked when Emil called him 'big brother.'"

"Is that his name?"

"You two! Less talking more riding!" Lukas yelled at them from far ahead. "Hurry up!"

Matthias turned to the Swede. "Wanna race?"

"Want to lose?" Berwald smirked.

X X X

On account of making Berwald's horse throw him yet again, and almost making Lukas drop Emil, Matthias was forced to stay at camp and babysit while the others spied on the Face family.

"So..." Matthias said awkwardly, staring down at the five year old as they sat by the fire. "What do you like to do?"

"I don't know." Emil shrugged. "Run away from the big people."

"Ah." The Dane nodded, realizing the 'big people' were probably the invaders that took him from home. "Um...now what?"

"Tell me a story." The Icelandic boy ordered, crawling into Matthias' lap.

"Hmm alright. Give me a minute." Matthias stared up into the stars, thinking. "I've got one. Once upon a time, in a big city there was a little match girl." He said, choosing a story his father told him many times as a child.

"Can it be a boy?" Emil pouted. "Girls are always the center of the story."

"Alright. A little match boy then. He was very poor, dressed in rags The only way he could get money for a little piece of bread was to sell matches."

"Matches?" Emil blinked.

"Small sticks, that when you rub them against something, turn into fire." Matthias explained. "Only very rich people have it."

"Ah. Okay." Said Emil, curling up against Matthias. "Continue."

With a small smile, Matthias began rocking Emil. "One cold winter day, the little match boy couldn't sell any matches. It seemed like everyone had an abundance of them. Hungry and cold, the little match boy stroke a match, hoping to keep warm, when a wonderful thing happened. He was in a room, with lots of food, and a big warm fire. The little match boy was about to dig in and eat, when his flame died out, and he was back in the cold night."

"How did he do that?" The Icelandic child asked, violet eyes widening.

"I don't know." Matthias shrugged. "And no one knows to this day. The little match boy wanted very much to go back and have that food, so he struck another match. The feast and the warm fire was back, but there was also a big brother there, waiting for the little match boy."

"Like Lukas?" Emil guessed.

"Yes. The big brother welcomed him, and the little match boy said "Take me with you! I don't want to lose you! I miss you!" He then lit all of the matches. And-" Matthias suddenly stopped, remembering the end of the story, where the little match girl died to be with her grandmother.

Emil stared up at him, waiting. "Well?"

"A-and it became true." Matthias said quietly, smiling down at him. "The matches were magic, filled with wishes. The little match boy was transported to his big brother, and they lived happily ever after. The end."

"Thanks for the story, Matthias!" Emil hugged him sleepily. "If the endings so happy...why are you crying?"

"Hmm?" The Dane blinked away a few tears. Damn emotions. He could never keep from crying when thinking about the ending of the story. "Oh, its just I'm glad the little match boy got home."

With a sigh, he looked down at Emil, who had already fallen asleep. "Tired, are we? Well_ god nat_." Matthias wrapped a blanket around the small child and kissed his forehead.

"What did I tell you?" Lukas asked, leaning against a tree behind him.

Spinning around, Matthias grinned. "How long have you been there? And what did you tell me?"

"I've been here long enough. Berwald is just being slow." Lukas sat down in front of the fire. "And I told you were good with children. Now why are you crying?"

"Huh? Oh..just the story, gets to me every time." He laughed quietly. "I had to change the ending for Emil. I don't want him to cry."

"How did it end then?"

"She was hallucinating. The little match girl froze to death."

Lukas stared at Matthias. "Whoever told you that was a children's story was mental."

"Yes, my father was pretty mental." Matthias shrugged. "But many people are." He wrapped himself in his cloak and laid down as Berwald finally arrived. "_God nat_everyone."

"_God natt_, Matthias." He heard Lukas' voice whisper.

* * *

**((Emil- Iceland (chibi!Icey! 8D)**

**Takk/Tak- Thank you**

**God natt/God natt- good night**

**Hei/Hej- Hello**

**móðir- Mother (Icelandic)**

**Stóri bróðir- big brother (Icelandic)**

**I just had to throw in 'The Little Match Girl' by Hans Christen Anderson in there. Its such a beautiful story. (And Danish!) I read it to my brothers and sisters today and began crying at the end. XD They just stared at me like "What the heck Raven?" But it was worth it!**

**And we have chibi!Iceland! 8D I don't know when is going to come in, maybe next chapter. 83**

**Thanks for reading! Please favorite, follow, review and share! Stay beautiful and keep reading- the next chapter is going to be lots of fun to write. ;D))**


	5. Chapter 5

Matthias was beginning to get really annoyed at Berwald.

Would nothing stop the Swede from trying to win Lukas' heart? Everyday he brought the Norwegian flowers, as if that somehow showed that he was more worthy than Matthias. He also had more opportunities to be with Lukas, which wasn't fair. (Or Matthias' fault either. The burnt shoes were an accident.) And Matthias was left keeping care of Emil, who wasn't all bad if you kept him occupied and told him stories.

The Dane gnawed his lip, watching Lukas practice fighting moves with his hammer, anxious for the upcoming battle against the Face family tomorrow. An idea formed in Matthias' mind and it began to grow into a plot.

He turned to Emil, who was sitting next to him. "Hey, can you do something for me?" He asked.

The Icelandic child shrugged. "Depends what it is and what I'll get in return."

"Sneaky little child, aren't you? Tonight I'll tell you every story I've got."

"Stories are just stories. Though I like them, I need more." Emil said evenly.

Matthias' face fell. This was going to be harder than he thought. "Um...what do you want?"

"A pet!" Emil grinned. "A little friend that I can have with me while you guys are on the raid!"

"It's a deal." The man and child shook hands. "So here's my plan..."

X X X

"_Hej_! Lukas!" Matthias strode up confidently to the Norwegian. "Need help practicing?"

The Norwegian shrugged. "I guess my swordsmanship could use a little work." He picked up a tall, sturdy stick and tossed and identical one to Matthias. "I'll apologize in advance for any bruises and broken bones."

"Of course." Matthias snorted. He took a fighting stance.

Lukas did as well. "I'll let you attack first."

A sly grin appeared on the Dane's face. This was going to be a piece of cake. With a slight cry he rushed at Lukas.

Then he felt a stick against his head, the ground beneath him and a foot on his back.

"You need to be better than that." Lukas snorted. "Think about what you're doing before you attack. We were lucky with the Vargas bandits." He kicked Matthias in the head for good measure.

"Alright." Matthias groaned and stood up again, thinking slightly before he attacked.

No matter what he did, Lukas always managed to beat him. Every single time he was pushed to the ground, slammed against a tree, a foot against his back or a fist in his face. Bruised and battered, with the untouched Norwegian smirking proudly.

The Dane wiped the sweat off of this forehead, spitting out grass that he had accidentally tasted when Lukas slammed his head against the ground. Just in case anyone was wondering-It did not taste pleasant. He stood up and stared at Lukas, knowing that every man had a weak spot somewhere. The Norwegian just kept it very well hidden.

Or very well protected...

Something clicked inside his brain. Matthias grinned and attacked again, not aiming for Lukas himself, but the small strand of hair that stood out. His 'curl,' if you may.

Victory.

Lukas was not expecting it at all. He turned a bright shade of red and suddenly collapsed onto his back, shaking slightly. Matthias' eyes widened in fear. _Dear Odin, what have I done?_

"Lukas!" He ran over and knelt beside the Norwegian. "Are you alright?!"

After laying a punch in Matthias' face, Lukas sat up. "Fine. I guess you found my weak spot then."

"It was just a guess." The Dane groaned, rubbing his sore face. Tomorrow he'd turn completely purple and look like a troll. "What exactly happened?"

"It gives me temporary paralysis." Lukas replied. "I think it's the side effect of being a magic user."

"Maybe." Matthias stood up and held out his hand. "Need help up?"

Lukas nodded. "Yes, _takk_." He took Matthias' hand and was pulled up into a standing position.

From seemingly out of nowhere Emil ran past, giggling. As not to get run over by the strangely hyper child, Lukas fell forward into Matthias' arms.

"Whoa, are you okay?" Matthias asked, secretly giving Emil a thumbs up behind his back.

"Y-yes sorry." Lukas stammered, blushing.

The Dane ran a finger down the side of Lukas' cheek. "Are you sure?" He asked.

"_J-ja_..." The Norwegian muttered, staring up at Matthias. Indigo eyes meeting sky blue.

It would've all went smoothly from there on if Berwald hadn't of suddenly strode towards the pair and punched Matthias directly in the face.

The Dane fell back, hitting his head against a tree. The world spun around him for a few minutes before he realized what happened. "What the hell was that for?!" He snapped, standing up and walking over to the Swede.

"You know." Berwald said coldly, glaring at him. Matthias raised his arm to punch him back, but Lukas stopped him, grabbing his arm.

"I have no clue what the hell is going on." Lukas stepped between them. "But you guys need to grow up! We have a fight tonight, and we won't be able to defeat them without killing ourselves! So sort out everything and get over it!" He stormed off into the forest to cool down his furious mood.

"Do I still get my pet and stories?" Emil asked, tugging on Matthias' cape.

"You bribed a child to help you?" Berwald stared at the Dane. "Thats cheating."

"So is punching someone to stop them from winning." Matthias retorted. "And yes, Emil. I'll find you a pet. Lets leave." He turned on his heel, Emil's hand in his, and strode away from Berwald, head held high. Though on the inside, he was ashamed at himself.

X X X

"Is everyone ready?" Lukas whispered, his hammer clenched tightly in his hand as he watched the Face Family bandits with narrowed eyes.

Matthias grinned. "When am I not?" He replied back.

"Of course." Berwald nodded curtly and unsheathed his sword.

"I'll take out Arthur. He's the best fighter. Then Berwald will take out Francis and Matthias will take out Alfred. Matthew isn't a fighter, so don't mind him. He's just the cook and navigator." The Norwegian slipped down from the boulder they were on and landed silent as a cat. As Lukas crept closer to the sleeping Brit, Matthias made his way over to the younger blonde.

"Wake up everybody! We're being attacked!" The Frenchman- Francis, Matthias remembered his name- screamed, and the four instantly jumped to their feet, weapons at the ready.

With a snarl Alfred attacked Matthias, slinging his club at his face. Raising his axe quickly to block it, Matthias aimed a kick at his stomach, pushing the American off of him. He swung his axe again, not aiming to hurt or kill.

Alfred just grinned and blocked it. "So you think you were smarter than us?" He taunted. "We saw you spying on us, and did a little spying as well. In fact-" He ducked Matthias punch, landing him a blow in the face, where he was already bruised from that morning. "We know what your weaknesses are."

Weaknesses. Oh god. Matthias' gaze flickered over to Lukas, who was holding up pretty well against Arthur, then back to Alfred.

"Yes!" The American laughed. "We know his weakness! And we knows yours as well."

"News flash." Matthias hissed, feinting a punch and kicking him in the shin. "'We knows' is improper grammar." Thank god that Lukas' snarky comebacks had rub off on him.

The punched was dodged, but the kick made contact. Alfred grimaced, but kept grinning. For only a boy of around sixteen, he was pretty strong. "Stop trying to distract yourself. I know you're in love with that pretty boy."

"S-So? You're an idiot!" Matthias snapped, his attacks getting more and more desperate.

"I know, but you're more of an idiot than me." Alfred retorted, suddenly grabbing Matthias by the hair and slamming him against a tree.

For the second time that day, the world swam before Matthias' eyes. He felt a hot, sticky substance drip down his neck, making him shudder when he realized it was blood. He stared up at Alfred, breathing heavily. His axe lay in the ground behind the American.

"You know what..." Alfred leaned in close and whispered into Matthias' ear. "You think you're so brave, battling against bandits to return the goods. But to tell the truth- you are no better than we are. You were never the hero to begin with."

Something inside of Matthias snapped, and all of his anger- at Alfred, at Berwald, and at himself- came bursting out like a wild fire. With a roar he flung Alfred off of him, flinging the American into the bushes. He stood up, stumbling slightly.

Dimly, as if in a dream, he wiped the blood off of the back of his neck and stared down at his blood staining his fingers. With a slight maniacal grin, he licked it off, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "You shall not have my blood." He said darkly, earning a terrified look from Alfred.

"W-what?" Alfred stammered, clutching his club with white fingers.

Matthias walked forward, picking up his axe, advancing towards the American. For every step he took, Alfred took one back. Grinning and gripping his axe tightly in anticipation, a chuckle escaped Matthias' lips. Once you showed you weren't afraid of having blood on your hands, people obeyed you. Blood was power. Power could put him above Berwald, and win him Lukas. Lukas, the subject of his fantasies, his heart, his everything, would love him. But in order to get power, you had to get blood.

In order to get blood, you had to kill.

In a frenzy of fear, Alfred swung his club. Matthias stopped it with his bare hands, his blood beginning to drip down his arm. He leaned in close to Alfred's ear, like the American had done to him only moments before. "You shall not have my blood." He whispered. "But tonight...I shall have yours. _Farvel_." Matthias raised his and thrust the sharp top into his heart, twisting it.

Nothing terrified Matthias more than the poor boy's dying scream.

Eyes widening, Matthias stepped back, watching Alfred's corpse fall to the ground. He stared at his trembling blood stained hands, then turned around slowly to see everyone staring at him.

"I...I didn't mean to..." The Dane stammered. "I-It wasn't me..."

"ALFRED!" The small one-Matthew- ran over to his dead brother's die, kneeling and cradling his head. "_N-non! N-non! NON!_ ALFRED!" He screamed, breaking Matthias' heart. The Canadian looked up at Matthias. "Y-you monster! You killed my brother!"

"How could you?!" Berwald turned to Matthias, furious. "You know we weren't supposed to kill! We weren't even supposed to harm them!"

"I-I..." Matthias stammered, looking at Matthew crying over Alfred's body, then at all the accusing glares. "I-It wasn't me! I didn't know what I-I was doing!"

"_Non_." Francis spat. "You knew exactly what you were doing."

Matthias knew that was the truth.

So he turned and ran.

Not caring about the branches scratching his arms and face, or the fact that he was running into a large forest in the middle of the night, Matthias ran. He had to get away from all of those furious faces. He couldn't bear to see Lukas' horrified face. He was a monster, and he had to get away before he hurt anyone else.

Matthias stopped to catch his breath, leaning against a tree and trying to stop himself from shaking. He glanced behind him and saw the Face family's camp fire as a speck in the darkness. Matthias fell to his knees, beginning to sob uncontrollably.

"Idiot. Get up."

Spinning around, Matthias stared at Lukas with wide eyes. "_N-Nej_..." He scrambled away from Lukas, burying himself deep inside a thorn bush, ignoring the little pricks of pain that the thorns caused as they tore through his skin.

The Norwegian knelt in front of Matthias, his indigo eyes shining unnaturally bright in the moonlight. "Why not?" He asked.

"I-I'm a monster." Matthias whispered. "I-I killed that poor boy...and I didn't even know why I did it! I wanted to, but I don't know why."

"Would you like me to explain it?" Lukas asked, and went on, not waiting for an answer. "You have blood lust. Whenever you are incredibly angry, or in the heat of battle, something inside you awakens, longing for blood, and not stopping at anything to get more and more."

"S-stay away!" Matthias yelled desperately. If Lukas got hurt...he didn't know what he would do.

Lukas rolled his eyes slightly. "_Nei_. Just listen to me. You can learn to control it. I've known many people who have become legends who had it. What's your father's name again?"

"E-erik. Erik Gentleheart. Why does it matter?"

"He had it too."

Matthias stared at him in shock. "W-what? My...my far..."

"Yes. It seems you got it from him. But did he ever show any anger towards you?" Lukas asked gently.

"_N-nej_...never. He was scared of sheep."

"Then he had it under control very well. Like you will. Now get out of the thorns." Ignoring Matthias' protests, Lukas reached in and pulled Matthias out and onto his feet.

"Lukas leave me alone." Matthias tried to pull away, but the Norwegian had an iron grip. "You know Alfred didn't deserve to die, and I'm making sure I'm not going to hurt you."

Lukas intertwined his fingers with Matthias', increasing his grip. "_Nei_. And I know what you and Berwald were fighting about."

Matthias' heart fell. "Go back to him. Tell him he's won. He'll be very happy." He said coldly, escaping Lukas and beginning to walk away.

"Matthias. Please do me a favor." Lukas stopped him.

"What?" The Dane turned around with a tear streaked face.

"Don't you ever...ever cry again." Lukas murmured, wiping them away. He pressed a gentle, timid kiss against Matthias' lips, his hand still cupped around his cheek.

Matthias's eyes widened. The effect of the kiss quickly took over Matthias, as he closed his eyes and deepened the kiss, wrapping an arm around Lukas' waist and intertwining the Norwegian's fingers with his own. In response, Lukas wrapped his arms around Matthias' neck, only pulling away when he had to.

"We have to go back to camp. Emil's probably worried." He murmured, burying his face against Matthias' shoulder.

"I'll come." Matthias replied, stroking Lukas' hair quietly. "But you have to promise to help me."

"How can I say no?" Lukas reached up and gave him another quick kiss. "We'll work on it tomorrow."

The whole way back to camp was a blur. All that Matthias was conscious of was Lukas's hand in his own, and his head against his shoulder. The feel of Lukas' kiss was still on his mind,along with the memory of him slightly smiling, eliminated all of the thoughts of what happened earlier that night.

Ignoring Berwald's shocked and slightly angered look of him and Lukas entering the camp site and Emil's questions of what his pet was going to be, Matthias laid down near the fire, wrapping his cloak around himself. His smile never left his face, even as he finally fell asleep, the warmth of Lukas' reassuring form pressed up against him.

* * *

**(( Nei/Nej/Non- No**

**Takk/Tak- Thanks**

**Hej/Hei- Hi**

**Farvel- farewell/goodbye**

**BTW- Erik is R~Ninja (on dA)'s Scandinavia OC (Hetalia, Ancients)**

**I had too much fun writing snapped!Denmark killing off America... and had too much trouble writing the actual romance o_O But hej! It's epic. :3**

**I realize that each chapter is slowly growing longer and longer than the next- and it's getting easier to write lengthier things too. Is it possible that I might be getting better? 8D**

**Thanks so much for reading! Please favorite, review, follow and share! 3 Stay beautiful!))**


	6. Chapter 6

"Take deep breaths." Matthias heard Lukas' calming voice through closed eyes.

"_Hej_...Lukas? May I ask you something?"

"_Nei_. Taking deep, steady breaths calms you. Your rage is summoned when you're under a big amount a stress, plus a sudden, large amount of adrenaline. It makes you snap, and the blood lust begins. If you're relaxed and calm it will be harder for it to come over you."

"If this is about being calm then why am I standing in a river?" Matthias interrupted, shivering. "I know springs almost over, but it's still freaking cold. Can I at least have my shirt?"

Lukas rolled his eyes, safely seated on the bank. "_Nei_. I don't want to go through the hassle of drying it out. And to answer your first question..." The Norwegian stood up and walked into the river, seemingly unaffected by the cold water. "I'm going to try and go into the part of your mind that the blood lust has taken over. We won't be able to drive it out just yet, but we might to be able to find a weakness. The cold water makes you slightly more vulnerable, so I can get into your mind easier."

The Dane nodded, biting his lip to stop his teeth from chattering and hugging himself. "Okay. Go on ahead. The sooner we get this done with the better."

Placing one hand on Matthias' forehead, and the other above his heart, Lukas closed his eyes, concentrating. "Matthias, do you let me enter your mind, being allowed to see all of your thoughts and memories?"

"Uh y-yes?" Matthias stammered, closing his eyes again.

"Is that a yes or a no?"

"It's a yes..."

Almost immediately there was a dull, slightly throbbing pain in his head.

"Sorry, but a presence in your mind- wanted or not- hurts slightly." Lukas apologized. "Now concentrate on me. Make sure that I have solid footing in your mind."

Taking a deep breath, Matthias tried to focus all his thoughts on Lukas. It wasn't that hard, considering he was right there. He focused on Lukas' hands gently resting on his forehead, the feel of Lukas' warm breath, inches away from his cold skin, and the closeness of the Norwegian in general.

Lukas chuckled. "I didn't know you thought so strongly of me. Or in that way."

A blush rose to Matthias' face. "Shut up and tell me what to do next."

"Think of what happened the other night. Relive that instant when the blood lust took over and you killed the boy."

"O-okay..." The Dane hated to think of that moment, Alfred's dying scream ringing through his ears. The shocked, terrified looks on everyone's faces and Matthew's broken sobs as he cradled his brothers body in his arms. No one deserved to go through that. Matthias concentrated on the feeling that suddenly took over him, distorting and twisting his thoughts into something horrible that terrified him to no end.

"Good..." Lukas murmured softly. "Now go to the moment when you saw your own blood mixed with his on your hands."

A sudden pain like liquid fire went through Matthias' body, making him cry out. Lukas instantly pulled his hands away, breaking the link between their minds. Doubling over and falling to his knees in the water, Matthias breathed heavily. "W-what the hell..." He muttered, feeling nauseous.

"I'm so sorry." Lukas stepped back as the Dane began to vomit up bile and blood into the river. "I didn't realize..."

"D-didn't realize w-what?" The Dane stood up, shaking slightly and climbing out of the river onto the bank. "Is something wrong?" He asked, pulling his tunic over his cold body.

Lukas followed him out of the river, pulling his shoes back on. "_Nei_. Nothing's wrong. We'll try again later."

Seeing the worry that had flashed through Lukas' eyes and that the Norwegian refused to meet his gaze, Matthias knew that he was lying.

X X X

They made their way back to the camp, where Berwald was taking care of Emil. Matthias grinned as he saw the Swede lecturing Emil on sword fighting. He'd make a good father someday. The Swede looked up and saw Lukas and Matthias walk into the clearing, together, and his face fell into an expression of anger.

"I took care of your little brother." He said curtly to Lukas, ignoring Matthias completely as he turned on his heel and began to leave.

Matthias ran after him, grabbing his shoulder. "Wait! Berwald please listen to me."

With a sigh, Berwald turned back towards the Dane. "What?"

"Can we leave the past behind us?" Matthias asked, giving him a soft smile. "I miss having my brother around."

Ever since Lukas and Matthias had returned home the night of the first kiss- Matthias still felt giddy thinking of it- Berwald had grown strangely distance. He still talked to Lukas and Emil like he normally did, but ignored Matthias like he wasn't even there. At first Matthias shook it off, thinking that Berwald was slightly scared of him after he discovered his blood lust. After a few days of this, he realized that it was something else. Could Berwald be jealous of him? It was out of character for the Swede, but highly possible.

Berwald's expression didn't change. "What brother?" He asked, calm and cold as ice. That was the most he had talked to Matthias in the past few days.

"B-Berwald... just listen-"

"_Hei_! Slow pokes!" Lukas rode up to them, Emil already seated comfortably on the saddle in front of him. "There's a village with an inn a few mile's journey ahead. We're going to head there for the night."

Lukas' word was the law. Matthias and Berwald instantly ran over to their horses, mounting them and riding next to Lukas.

"Are we going to go after more bandits?" The Dane asked, pulling into a trot.

"_Nei_." Was the Norwegians reply. "Not yet. I suggest we rest and heal our wounds."

Berwald nodded. "Good idea." He pulled ahead of the two, taking the lead.

Lukas shot a worried glance at Matthias. "What's wrong with him? He hasn't talked to you in forever."

"I don't know." Matthias shrugged. "I think he's jealous...of us..."

"Ah."

"I feel bad for him. We have each other and Emil, but he's alone." He admitted.

"True, but he'll find someone. Someone will love him more than I could of." Lukas replied, leaning over and kissing Matthias on the cheek.

Nothing could wiped off Matthias' smile or dampen his mood after that.

X X X

Walking into their room at the inn and tapping Emil's shoulder, Matthias grinned. _"Hej_, Emil! Guess what!"

The Icelandic child turned around, blinking. "Did you finally get me a pet?" He guessed, violet eyes sparkling.

"_Ja_. Can you guess what is is?" Matthias held a cage behind his back, moving when Emil tried to peek behind him to see what was inside it's contents.

Emil thought for a moment. "A puppy?"

"_Nej_."

"A cat?" Emil tried again.

That only made Matthias' grin grow wider. _"Nej_! Guess again!"

Emil thought for a moment. "A birdy?"

"Close, but not close enough."

"A griffin?!"

Matthias laughed. "_Nej!_That would be awesome, though. Here is your new pet!" He opened the cage and pulled out a small, black bird with a white face, orange webbed feet and eyes that seemed to stare into your soul.

"...what is it?" The albino asked, taking the bird and examining it.

"You can't tell?" The Dane's face fell a bit. "It's a puffin! Can't you tell?"

Emil stared at the bird with a blank expression that he probably learned from Lukas. "...it's...weird." He said after awhile.

Matthias sighed. "You don't like it, don't you?"

"_Nei_-" The puffin suddenly cuddled up to Emil, emitting a slightly muffled humming sound, instead of a chirp like Matthias was expecting. Emil giggled and kissed the puffin's beak, cradling it. "Never mind." He said. "I love it._ Takk_, Uncle Matthias."

The usual grin appeared on Matthias' face. "No problem. What's its name going to be?"

The Icelandic child sat on the bed, playing with his new friend. "I don't know. Something amazing."

"I'll give you suggestions." Matthias began pacing. "Hmm...what about... Odin? Or Thor?"

"_Nei._"

"Loki is a good one, he is a tricky one."

"_Nei_."

"Um...how about Haldor?"

"_Nei_."

"Aslak? Bendt? Iver?"

_"Nei._"

"Then what?" Matthias asked.

Emil looked up, his violet eyes sparkling. " !"

The Dane stared at him in disbelief. "...Mr...Puffin..."

"_Já_! Isn't it perfect?" The Icelandic child giggled.

"Yes it is." Lukas walked in and put a hand on Matthias' shoulder, giving him a look that dared him to say otherwise. "Matthias. Don't rain on his parade. He's just a kid."

Matthias laughed and pulled the Norwegian into a hug. "Alright."

Emil snorted in disgust. "Please don't do any of that kissy stuff in front of me. It's gross."

Grinning wickedly, Matthias wrapped an arm around Lukas' waist, bending him back and kissing him, holding back the urge to laugh.

Emil shrieked and ran out of the room, in his arms, slamming the door behind him. Matthias stood up and laughed, Lukas blushing all the while.

"I-idiot! That wasn't funny." He insisted, crossing his arms and scowling.

Matthias ran a finger down the side of the Norwegian's cheek.. "Don't deny yourself. You enjoyed it as much as I did."

"Hmph...maybe." Lukas flashed him a wry grin. "But still, that was slightly rude."

"Oh, I'm sorry your highness." Matthias mock-bowed and held out his hand. "May I have the permission of kissing you then?"

Lukas blushed again. "If you wish."

Times like these made Matthias wonder if there was anything about Lukas that was imperfect. The softness and tenderness of Lukas' lips, how perfectly the Norwegian's smaller body fit against his own and how he murmured quiet words in Norwegian between kisses. They made no sense to Matthias yet, but he knew their worth.

X X X

"Berwald! Berwald! Berwald!" Emil ran up to the Swede and tugged on his sleeve.

Berwald finished tying up the horses and knelt in front of Emil. "_Ja_? What is it?"

The Icelandic child squirmed slightly under his gaze. He knew that Berwald was very kind and loving, but he was very intimidating as well. "Matthias and Lukas are kissing in front of me! It's gross!"

Standing up quickly, Berwald looked at the inn's doors. "Are they?" He asked coldly.

"Y-yes..." Emil stared up at him in confusion. Why did Berwald suddenly seem so angry about it? Yes, kissy stuff was a little gross, but Emil knew his big brother loved Matthias dearly and just wanted him to be happy. Didn't Berwald feel the same?

"...You can stay in my room tonight." The Swede said quietly, taking Emil's hand and walking inside with him.

"_T-takk_!" The child muttered. Berwald seemed so distant when he watched the stupid Dane and big brother together. His expression would go blank, then his shoulders would stiffen up and he would mutter darkly in Swedish to himself. His blue eyes would fill with a sudden sapphire fire, and Emil knew that if someone made the wrong choice, Berwald would have no mercy.

* * *

**((Hej/Hei- Hello/Hey**

**Nej/Nei- No**

**Ja/Já****_- _****Yes/Yeah**

**Tak/Takk- Thank you**

**Filler chapter is full of filler. **

**AND 'S FAMOUS DEBUT! 3 Lucky for him, Iceland didn't listen to Denmark. Otherwise he would of been stuck with something like Haldor instead of the epic name . XD**

**Thank you so much for all of the reviews/favorites/follows! This has 14 reviews, which is the most I've ever gotten on a story so far! 3 I love you guys so much!**

**Thanks for reading! Please Favorite, Follow, Review and Share! Stay fabulous, my readers!))**


	7. Chapter 7

Running through the burning forest, Matthias flinched as the branches and thorns cut his arms and face. How had he got here? He didn't remember anything. It seemed like he had just appeared here and began running.

"YOU KILLED MY BROTHER! YOU MONSTER!" He heard Matthew's heart broken voice behind him, slowly growing into a cry of rage. "YOU KILLED MY BROTHER! YOU KILLED ALFRED!"

Fear took over the Dane and he began running faster, ignoring the growing cuts on his limbs and the sticks and stones tearing his bare feet to shreds. He had to get out of this forest before the flames or Matthew caught up.

Having the sudden sensation he was falling, Matthias quickly backpedaled away from the edge of a sheer cliff. He stopped for a breath, staring at the flames at the bottom of the gorge. Turning around he found himself face to face with Matthew.

"You killed my brother. You're a monster." The Canadian hissed, taking Matthias' own axe and thrusting the tip into his heart, twisting.

X X X

With a yell Matthias sat upright in bed, breathing heavily, a cold sheen of sweat on his forehead. He gripped the edge of the bed, trying to calm himself down.

Next to him, Lukas stirred. "Matthias? What's wrong?" He mumbled, still mostly asleep.

"N-nothing..." Matthias said after a minute of silence. "J-just a nightmare. That's all." He smiled down at the Norwegian. "Sleep well?"

"_Ja._I'm not a morning person." Was Lukas' reply as he sat up and promptly fell against Matthias. "What was the nightmare about."

"Oh...um... when...you know." The Dane prompted, not really wanting to say it aloud

Lukas stared up at him sleepily. "No I don't. What?"

"...when I killed Alfred." Matthias muttered in response.

Instantly the Norwegian pulled him into a hug. "I keep telling you and you keep ignoring it. You have to forgive yourself."

Matthias shrugged and gave him a gentle kiss. "Alright. I'll try."

"Good. Now we have to get up and get dressed. We still have a long journey ahead of us." Lukas pushed him gently, signalling that it was time to get up and actually do something other than lie in the bed all day.

With a groan and a grin, Matthias put on his clothes while Lukas did the same. "Where are we going?" He asked. "Do we have more bandits to track?"

"No, not yet. Though I heard there's some a little farther South." Lukas replied.

There was a knock on the door. "Hey, Are you guys up yet?" Berwald's voice asked, sounding impatient. "I already have the horses saddled."

Lukas looked outside and cursed, quickly pulling on his shoes. "Crap it's almost noon already! Hurry up, Matthias! We slept in late!"

"Why is that so horrible?" Matthias asked.

"We had to be out by ten this morning." Lukas replied, quickly straightening the roughed up sheets and setting everything up neatly.

"...so?"

Lukas spun around as they heard heavy footsteps coming up the hallway. "You weren't there to meet the landlord." He replied, opening up the window. He grabbed Matthias' hand and they made quick, slightly giggly escape.

"Quick! The horses are over there!" Matthias whispered, peeking into the room and watching the landlord. "Hmm...I get what you mean. Do you think he was a troll in a past life?"

"Shut up and hurry!" Lukas hissed, grabbing his arm and pulling him forward.

Not expecting the sudden tug, Matthias fell over, he and Lukas tumbling in the snow, cursing and laughing. The Dane rested for a bit, lying in the snow with Lukas lying on top of him. "Well...that was fun."

The Norwegian shot him a glare, but then burst out laughing, laying his head on Matthias' chest as he began laughing as well.

Matthias loved it when Lukas laughed. Not in a mocking, hurtful way, but when he was truly enjoying the moment. It made him feel somewhat special, since Lukas was so expressionless and cold hearted around everyone else. The same thing went for hugs, kisses and smiles. Matthias treasured every moment when Lukas came out of his shell and showed that he was human like everyone else.

"Get up." Berwald promptly kicked Matthias in the head. "We have to leave quickly if we want to meet our destination by sundown."

"Berwald you don't have to be so harsh." Lukas replied, getting off of Matthias and helping the Dane up. "We're coming now. Just got a little distracted."

"Oh. I see." Was the Swede's only answer.

Watching him as they rode, Matthias decided that something was wrong with his brother. At first he thought it was because of the...Alfred accident, but it should of disappeared by now and they would be getting along like they always did. And Berwald- even though he wanted to dearly- never showed any signs of violence unless Matthias punched him first. The kick in the head was completely out of character. Something was going on, and Matthias had no clue to what.

X X X

"_Hej_...Berwald?" Matthias tapped the Swede's shoulder. They had just set up for camp, and Lukas had taken Emil hunting, so he thought it was the best time to talk to him. "Is something wrong?"

"Why do you say that?" Berwald asked, still icily cold.

"Because you keep avoiding me. And when you don't you act so cold like you hate me." Said Matthias quietly.

"What makes you think I don't?"

Matthias stared at him in shock for a moment. "B-Berwald if it's about the blood lust-"

"Why would it be about that?" Asked the blonde Swede. "The blood lust is just a condition you have to live with. _Ingen_, it's not that."

"Then what-"

"Are you really that stupid?!" Berwald suddenly lashed out. "It's because of Lukas!"

"L-lukas?"

"Yes, Lukas." Berwald turned away in anger. "What did you do to deserve him? Nothing. I've been doing everything around here. Getting food, spying, fighting bandits when all I want to do is leave, and what do you do? You ruin everything. You are meaningless!"

"B-berwald listen to yourself!" Matthias snapped. "You're speaking out of jealousy! Let it go!"

"NO!" Berwald spun around, sapphire blue eyes flashing like liquid fire. "I can't believe that I went along with your stupid plan in the first place."

"B-but Berwald...i-it was to find our destinies-"

"Your destiny. Not mine. Your dreams, not mine." Berwald grabbed Matthias by the throat and pinned him against a tree. "Ever since you came into my life you've gotten me into trouble. I'm regretting the day_ Fader_let you into our family, a wild child from the forest welcomed into our home. I was perfectly content with my life and you ruined it! I can't believe you Matthias! You think you're so clever, so important and so special that Lukas chose you, but you aren't! You're a sick, prideful, perverted monster who drags everyone into his death traps. None of this would've happened if it wasn't for you. YOU RUIN EVERYTHING."

All of the blood rushed to Matthias' head, his anger beginning to swell. He shoved Berwald off of him, surprising the Swede with his sudden strength. In a blinding rage, he grabbed Berwald by his throat and slammed him against a boulder.

"You think you're any bit more special than me?" He spat, slightly grinning when Berwald cringed. "You are nothing. You have nothing. No one loves you, and no one ever will. You'll be alone. Miserable. Pathetic. Useless." Matthias paused, getting an idea. "Since you have nothing to look forward to...might as well end it all right now."

_Blood is power._

_Power is admiration._

_Admiration is affection_

_Affection is Lukas._

_Lukas is the only priority._

Hand still on Berwald's exposed throat, Matthias pressed hard, squeezing and digging his nails into the flesh. If Berwald would've screamed, he would of. His eyes were wide with pain and fear, the only noises he could make were raspy gurgling sounds that signaled his death was near.

"MATTHIAS STOP!" Matthias's head spun around as Lukas collided with him, knocking him off of Berwald. The Swede instantly gasped for air, breathing heavily as he slid to the ground. The Dane struggled, snarling, but Lukas managed to hold him down.

"MATTHIAS!" The Norwegian screamed. "GET A GRIP OF YOURSELF!" He took a stone that was lying nearby and slammed it against Matthias' head. Not enough to do serious damage, but enough to knock him out. Matthias saw Lukas' furious face, then stars, then black.

X X X

The first thing Matthias saw when he came to, was Lukas crying.

"L-Lukas?" He murmured, sitting up and groaning. His head felt like someone was hammering it from the inside out. "Why are you crying? What happened?"

Lukas took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. The way his lip quivered and how tightly he held a very confused Emil nearly broke Matthias' heart in two. "T-the blood lust c-came back..."

Matthias blinked in confusion. "I-It did? Did I hurt you?"

"_N-Nei_. I'm fine." Lukas managed a shaky smile.

"But...how? Isn't it only supposed to come back during certain moments?" Matthias asked.

"_J-ja_...but it's different with you." Said Lukas quietly. "I don't know why...but it appears whenever you're especially angry...I'm afraid t-that...one day it won't leave."

Frozen for a moment, Matthias held his face in his hands. "I-I'm so sorry..." He muttered miserably. "W-who did I hurt?"

"...Berwald."

"How?"

"You almost strangled him to death. I had to use some magic to heal him."

"Is he going to be okay?"

The Norwegian sighed. "You should go talk to him yourself." He pointed behind Matthias, where the Swede was packing up his horse, preparing to leave. Matthias stood up and shakily walked over to him.

"...are...are you okay?" He asked.

Refusing to meet his gaze, Berwald shrugged. "Y-y'h. I'm f-f'ne."

The Dane stepped back in shock at the Swede's stuttering and broken voice. "W-what happened?!"

"You t'ried t-to str-str'ngle m-me." Berwald said coldly. "D-d'm'ged m-my v'cal c-cords."

"Can it-"

"N-no."

Matthias held back tears. "Berwald I'm so sorry-"

"S-s've it for s-some'ne 'lse." The Swede mounted his horse. "I'm g-goin' to r-return h'me. _Farväl_, M-Matth's. I h-hope you f-f'nd h'ppiness."

Judging by the emotionless tone in his voice, Matthias could tell he meant none of it. He watched Berwald disappear into the trees, ignoring the tears that blurred his vision. Once he was gone, Matthias let himself fall to his knees, holding his head in his hands and sobbing. He was dimly aware of Lukas wrapping his arms around him, murmuring quietly that everything would be alright, and Emil asking why everyone was so sad, when it was finally summer and the sky was a bright blue and the world was colorful. Matthias buried his face in Lukas' shirt, mourning his loss of his only brother.

* * *

**(( Hei/Hej- Hello/Hey**

**Nei/Nej/Ingen- No**

**Fader-Father**

**Farväl- Good bye/ Farwell**

**OOoo so much drama! Sweden snaps and Matthias is revealed to be adopted! Sorry if the next chapter was a bit too sudden. Once I got the last chapter done I had a sudden rush of inspiration and had to write it.**

**SO EXCITED FOR NEXT CHAPTER. I wish I could tell you why, but you'll find out.**

**Thank you for reading and for all of the reviews, favorites and followers so far!**

**Please favorite, follow, review and share! Stay fabulous! I love you all!))**


	8. Chapter 8

"Matthias please at breakfast!" Emil pleaded. "It's really yummy!"

The Dane didn't even look up from where he lay curled up on the ground. "_Nej_."

Emil rolled his eyes in frustration. "Come on! It's really yummy and big brother made it!"

"_Nej_."

"You have to keep your strength up!"

"_Nej_."

"Please?"

"_Nej_."

Sighing, the Icelandic child walked over to Lukas, who was packing up the horses. "He's being moody and starving himself."

Lukas looked over at Matthias. "He is...but he has a good reason. How would you feel if I said I wasn't your big brother and I left you all alone?"

"...I would feel bad." Emil admitted. "Good thing that won't happen!"

The Norwegian kissed Emil's forehead. "Of course it won't. I'll go get him up." He walked over to Matthias and sat next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "How are you coping?"

"Not well." Matthias muttered in reply. He hated that Lukas saw him like this, but he was too miserable to care.

Lukas sighed. "I know this is hard on you, but we have to keep moving. We're going to go North again, try and find a place to settle down, okay?"

"...okay." The Dane sighed as well and stood up. "_Tak _Lukas."

Lukas kissed his cheek and mounted his horse. "_Bare hyggelig_, Matthias."

They rode for awhile in silence, waiting for the other to break it, not wanting to do it himself.

"So what are we going to do now?" Lukas asked, glancing at Matthias.

Matthias shrugged quietly. "I don't know. I thought for sure that I found my destiny...but I'm confused." He admitted.

"Destiny...is a curious thing." Said Lukas thoughtfully. "It's not something you can find on your own, I think."

Getting bored with this conversation, Emil spoke up from his seat in front of Lukas. " says there's merchants coming."

"Well, is probably mistaken." Lukas kissed Emil's forehead.

"HEY TORIS! THERE'S LIKE, TOTALLY A BUNCH OF BADASS PEOPLE IN FRONT OF US!" A very loud obnoxious voice from behind them pierced the silence, making them jump.

"H-hush up Felix...what if they're bandits?" A quieter, more cautious voice whispered, trembling slightly.

Turning his horse around, Matthias' expression brightened. "Toris! And Felix!" He grinned and waved wildly while Emil and Lukas stared at him.

"Matthias?" A timid looking man rode up to them. "Is that really you?"

"Like, you can't tell?" Following Toris was a blonde, slightly girlish man, obviously carefree and confident. "It's totally him!" Felix looked at Lukas and Emil. "And he like, has a totally cute family! Aww that's so righteous!"

Lukas remained expressionless.. "We're not a couple." He said flatly and turned to Matthias. "Who are they?"

"Felix and Toris." replied Matthias. "Some old friends from when I was a kid. They're merchants now."

Felix just grinned. "Totally! And Lukas you are like, totally are an item. I can tell. Don't deny it, gal! And smile more often- you're looking like Berwald. Speaking of him where is he?" He looked around the clearing. "He's like...not here."

Face falling, Matthias looked away. "He was here, but he went home." He muttered, then sighed and shook his head. "Anyways we need a place to stay. Do you know any?"

"Yes." Toris said before Feliks could speak, guessing the mood and doing them all a favor. "There's a small village a little ways ahead that we're going to. You could reach it by nightfall."

"I see, thank you for your time." Lukas gave them a curt nod and began to ride away, gesturing for Matthias to do the same.

Blinking in surprise, Feliks followed them. "Hey wait up! Since we're, like, totally going to the same place, we should like, travel together! I can totally tell you about-"

Lukas groaned and turned to Toris, ignoring the Polish man's tale. "Is he always this annoying?"

"Yeah, I"m afraid so." The Lithuanian laughed nervously, then shot a worried glance at Matthias, who was listening to Felix' every word and laughing. "So what happened to Berwald? Did he...die?"

"Nei, thank god." Lukas replied, shaking his head. "He probably wouldn't be able to hide his feelings so well. Did he always hide everything under his stupid smile of his?"

Toris glanced at Matthias before continuing. "_Taip_, He did. Even when his _tėvas_-his father- died, he still made everyone laugh."

The Norwegian snorted. "He shouldn't do that. He's bottling up his feelings. They will explode someday."

"True, but I think he's not the only one bottling it up." Toris pointed out. "You and your blank face."

"Then maybe we both have to learn how to show our true feelings." Lukas said smoothly. "But I'll let him try and get over it for now. If he wants to burst then he'll burst."

Toris sighed, his point not getting to the Norwegian at all. "Alright then. But just try and be honest with each other, okay?"

Lukas nodded, watching Matthias laugh with Feliks in front of him. "I will."

"I'll make sure you'll hold up to that promise, big brother." Emil said, looking up at him.

"Of course you will." Lukas gave him one of his rare smiles. "Of course you will.

X X X

Matthias set his bags down on the ground, promptly laying down on the bed. "So glad we finally got here. Now we can relax." He sighed contentedly.

Lukas sat next to him quietly while Emil played with in the corner. "Matthias. How are you holding up?"

"...well I'm good...thanks for asking." The Dane grinned up at him. "How are you doing?"

"If you're going to lie,then so am I." He looked away, crossing his arms. "Tonight I'll die because I walked into a trap filled with maple syrup and drowned and eaten by a polar bear afterwards." Lukas shot him a cold glare. "Tell the truth, and I will too."

Matthias sighed. "You drive a hard bargain, Lukas." He gave him a small, sad smile. "I'm still trying to cope."

"Me too. I never got to apologize." Lukas laid down next to the Dane quietly, curling up next to him.

"For what?" Asked Matthias, wrapping an arm around him.

"Breaking his heart."

X X X

Matthias was woken in the middle of the night by a hand over his mouth and a knife pressed against his throat.

"Make a sound and I won't give you a chance to prove yourself worthy of your life." A quiet, vicious voice hissed in his ear.

Sky blue eyes widening, Matthias recognized the voice. He nodded slowly, and the stranger pulled him up, dragging him out to the forest, where two more hooded figures held Lukas and Emil. The Dane was roughly shoved to the ground next to them tied up by one of the figures..

"Regretting your decision to hang around here, eh?" Matthew asked, pulling off his hood and standing in front of them.

Matthias returned the glare at the Canadian was giving him. "What the hell do you want?" He snapped.

"I want my brother back, you son of a bitch." Matthew snapped, sending a sharp kick into the Dane's torso. "But since that's impossible, I'll go for revenge. My papa taught me a lot about revenge, pretty boy."

"W-what did he tell you?" Struggling to sit up, Matthias spat out blood onto the ground. "Revenge won't solve anything."

"It'll make feel better." Replied Matthew, walking over to his quiver and taking out an arrow. "There's three of you now- but only two will leave the clearing alive."

Matthias stared at the angered blonde. No longer was Matthew the shy, timid sixteen year old that stammered and was practically invisible. He glared at Matthias with such an anger and vicious rage that not even Berwald could stand up to. A clawed like hand took over Matthias' heart, quickly infecting it with the feeling called guilt.

"Do you see this?" Matthew waved an arrow in front of his face. Matthias stared at the strange arrow, that instead of a point or a blade, had three sharp sets of prongs at the end. "This is a harpoon arrow. I usually use it for scaling walls and such, but it would make a wonderful death."

Taking a deep breath, Matthias looked up at the Canadian with an expressionless face. "Stop talking and get it over and done with." He looked over at Emil. "Please over your eyes." The Icelandic child's eyes widened and he nodded quietly, doing what he was told."

He turned to face Matthew and closed his eyes, waiting for the impact to come. He felt delicate and soft hands-Francis', no doubt- cut his bonds. He took Lukas' hand in his own.

"Lukas.._.Jeg elsker dig_..."

_"J-Jeg elsker deg_...Matthias..." was Lukas' choked reply.

Holding Lukas' hand was his only comfort as Matthias heard Matthew draw his bow. The Dane wondered if his_ far_ Erik would be there...even though he wasn't his real son. He smiled a little, thinking of the timid, wild haired man that practically raised him. Maybe even Erik's wife would be there. He would love to meet her. Maybe even-

Matthew fired.

Matthias' sky blue eyes widened in shock. Barely hearing Emil's scream, or Matthew's laughter he slowly turned to look at the arrow sticking out of Lukas' chest.

"L-LUKAS!" He screamed as the Norwegian slumped against him, breaths slowly growing shorter and shorter. Matthias' hand went to the arrow, but then froze. The harpoon was probably clutched around Lukas' heart, if he tried to remove it, he could end up killing him faster.

"_N-nej. N-nej!_ This isn't real...this isn't happening!" He screamed, holding Lukas and brushing the hair out of his face with trembling hands.

"I'm afraid it is." Matthew said coldly. "Now you know how it feels to lose someone you love. When you want revenge- make it tenfold."

Matthias looked up at Matthew. He willed his blood lust to come upon him and take him over. He could easily take them out- all three of their mocking faces. He would make them pay for what they've done.

Anger filled his heart, but was quickly replaced by sorrow. Nothing changed.

"Come on, Papa. Arthur." Matthew said to the others and left the forest, returning to the dark forest.

"M...ma...tthias..." Lukas murmured.

"Shh I'm here. Everything will be alright." Matthias promised, hot tears beginning to flow. "Just concentrate on healing yourself. You can do it, right? You're a mage! You have magic!"

The Norwegian's bitter laugh quickly turned into a hoarse cough. "_N-Nei_...I can't...no one can bring back a dying person's breath."

"Shut up! You aren't going to die! You're going to heal, damn it!" Matthias yelled, hugging Lukas tightly.

"_N...nei_. I'm not. You have to face it. It's not my secluded time to die...but I might as well face my fate."

"This isn't your fate! I messed it up!" The Dane said desperately. "Send me back in time to stop myself from meeting you, then none of this will happen and you'll be alive!"

Lukas winced. "I can't... For one it's impossible, and two- I wouldn't if I could." He smiled up at the stars, the first, genuine smile that Matthias had ever seen on his face. "I don't regret anything. Meeting you was the best day of my life. If I hadn't of met you, I wouldn't of gone on this crazy, beautiful adventure. I wouldn't of found Emil, or would've fallen in love with you."

Matthias listened as Lukas poured out his heart to him. "You can't leave..." He murmured quietly. "I had our future planned out. We would get married and settle down somewhere up North, maybe a farm over from Berwald's. We would continue to raise Emil to be a wise, strong man and Berwald would find someone that loved him and they would have a kid as well and we'd all be one happy family." He went on and on, taking the detailed cross hair piece that he had gotten so many months ago and clipped it into Lukas' hair to keep the hair out of his face.

"Matthias..." Lukas murmured, taking the Dane's hand and kissing it gently. "I'm sorry...but I have to leave. I'll see you someday. I love you."

"I-I love you too..." Matthias stammered.

Lukas laughed slightly. "Funny. Death isn't that painful as I thought it would be. Just...depressing..." He glanced over at Emil. "Beat him up for me, okay?"

"Y-yes...b-big brother..." Emil nodded, shaking and crying.

As Lukas breathed his last, his grip on Matthias' hand weakened. Matthias stared down at the limp, lifeless form in his arms that was once his love and began to cry, heart broken, choked sobs. Emil hugged Lukas' leg, asking over and over why his big brother left him when he promised he would stay and keep care of him forever.

The very flames that took and destroyed Lukas' corpse in the light of the rising sun also took and destroyed Matthias' heart.

* * *

**((Nei/Nej- No**

**Tak/Takk- Thanks/Thank you**

******Bare hyggelig- you're welcome**

**********Taip- Yes (Lithuanian)**

**************Tėvas/far- Father**

******************Jeg elsker dig/****Jeg elsker deg- I love you.**

**Just a note- THE STORY IS STILL CONTINUING! THIS ISN'T THE END!**

**I am proud to say i legitimately cried while I wrote this chapter. Thank god for one of my RP/Cosplay buddies sending me a stupid video to cheer me up. (And for a stupid song about buying pants)**

**And I would like to thank Pearlbunny for her LietPol request. It gave me some filler that I needed 3**

**I would advise you to keep reading, even though Norway is dead now...that's my main worry. **

**And please don't hate me! DX I'm just doing my duty as a brutal fanfiction writer!**

**Thanks for reading! Please favorite, follow, review and share! Stay beautiful and fabulous my readers!))**


	9. Chapter 9

Three years. It had been three years since Lukas had left Matthias' life. Three years since Matthias had even smiled. Three years since he had seen Berwald, had eaten a full meal or had a happy, heartfelt conversation.

Even after three years, Matthias still couldn't let Lukas go.

After they burned the Norwegian's corpse, Matthias and Emil went back to the village, where they stayed. Emil tried many times to try and convince the Dane to move, to try and continue on throughout life, but Matthias always refused. Eventually Emil stopped trying. Everything reminded Matthias of Lukas, and it wasn't long before he turned to drink to drown his sorrow.

Luckily for him and Emil, the bartender always made sure he never got drunk. When Matthias was on the verge to being tipsy, he took away the glass and sat next to the Dane and talked with him. About Lukas and anything else that was going on in his mind.  
"_Kesese_. How's it going buddy?" The albino asked, as he always did during these moments. Though it was obvious he was German, he always claimed to be Prussian because it was 'more awesome.'

"Alright I guess. Thanks for asking Gil." Matthias said quietly. "You realize it's been three years, right?"

"Since you started coming here and we've become best buddies?" Gilbert guessed.

The Dane shrugged. "You're right, but I meant it's been three years since Lukas died."

Gilbert took a deep breath, having spent enough time with him to know what to say next. "Listen, Matt. I think it's time for you to move on. Lukas loved you dearly, and he wouldn't want you to live like this."

"I know." Matthias sighed. "I know, and I want to move on, but I don't know what to do with my life. I can't let him go, I can't lose him again."

Gilbert stood up and put a hand on the Dane's shoulder. "I know how you feel. But you have to stop living like this. From here on out the only drink you'll be getting from me is water. Go see Emil. That kid had to grow up to take care of himself, you know."

Stand up, Matthias nodded. Ever since Lukas had passed away the small Icelandic boy had become an emotionless, slightly cold being, staying away from the other children and spending everyday alone. "Alright, I will. _Takk_."

The snow crunching beneath his feet, Matthias began to search for Emil, checking his usual haunts and eventually finding him a little ways in the forest, not far from where it all had happened. "_Hej_...how are you doing?"

Emil didn't even look up from the bow he was oiling. "Good, considering that you pretty much forgotten me until Gilbert reminded you.

Matthias flinched. "I'm sorry Emil...I'm going to try and move on."

"That's what you said last week. And the week before that and the month before that and the year before last but you never actually did anything!" The Icelandic boy lashed out at Matthias. squawked and flew off of his shoulder.

"I-I know...It's been hard!" Matthias bit his lip in frustration. "I promise! Tomorrow we'll leave. Go North and forget about everything. I promise. If not you have the right to drag me out of bed in my underwear."

Emil didn't even smile. "Fine." He turned to leave. "Have you...had any weird dreams lately?"

"Huh? Oh. I haven't." Matthias shook his head. What had happened to Emil? He was so blank and expressionless. Not as expressionless as Lukas was, but definitely more cold. "Why?"

"Oh...it's just that Lukas used to tell me this story." Emil said, shrugging. "When a person dies, they can visit their loved ones in their dreams. I thought that Lukas might of visited you."

"_Nej_...well...not yet..." The Dane looked up at the setting sun. "_Nej_...not yet."  
X X X

Someone slapped Matthias across the face, sending him sprawling into the fresh grass.

"Stupid Dane." Lukas said fondly, standing over him.

Sky blue eyes wide, Matthias jumped up and pulled the Norwegian into a tight hug, instantly kissing him. "Lukas! You're here! Y-you're here! You're actually here!" He said, voice cracking slightly.

Lukas leaned his head against his shoulder. "I am. And I'm disappointed in you."

Staring at him in surprise, Matthias blinked. "W-why?"

"Stop sulking, damn it!" Lukas slapped him again. "You were supposed to keep care of Emil for me! He's had to take care of himself while you pickled your gut at the bar and sulked!"

Matthias stood there quietly, letting Lukas scold him, hot tears beginning to flow. "I-I'm sorry Lukas."

The Norwegian sighed and hugged him again. "I doubt I would be any better if I was you."

"You wouldn't" Matthias agreed, Kissing his forehead. "I miss you."

"I miss you too." Lukas murmured.

Looking around at the flower filled glade, Matthias asked "So...this is Valhalla?"

"Nei. It's not." Lukas pulled out of the Dane's tight embrace to lean against a tree and stare into the river rushing past.

Matthias stared at him in confusion. "Then what-"

"There are some who die before their time. They have a whole life ahead of them, or they got in the way of someone else's death and their life was taken instead of another's, or they still have their fate to fulfill So when they die, they're sent to a place on the brink of Valhalla and Earth. A small prison that's nearly impossible to escape from. They stay there until no one remembers them and their existence fades entirely."

Hugging him from behind, Matthias frowned slightly in thought. "So...you're stuck here."

Lukas nodded, sighing. "Yes. I'm afraid so."

"Is there anyway I can bring you back?" Matthias asked softly.

"Are you doing this for me...or for you?" Lukas didn't turn around.

The Dane thought for a few minutes. "I don't really know." He finally admitted. "I don't want you to be trapped here and forgotten...and I also want you for me. And Emil needs you to. It's obvious I'm not cut out to be his older brother."

Turning around, Lukas brushed the hair out of Matthias' face and kissed him gently. "Very well then. Good answer."

A small smile slowly spreading onto his face, he returned the kiss. "So how do I bring you back?"

"I can't tell you." The Norwegian replied. "You have to find it out yourself. Prove to Odin that you're worthy to bring a life back from the dead."

Matthias nodded. "Alright but..." He gave Lukas a small smile. "May I have a hint or two to get me started?"

Lukas chucked. "Yes, I can. Someone you know is one of few people who have been brought back to life. Ask him for help."

"I do?" Matthias' eyes widened. "Who?"

"It's a shame really. Poor Emil is always teased about his silver hair." Lukas said in a strange tone of voice.

Matthias blinked in confusion. "What are you getting at-"

"I wonder if there's anyone else with the same burden. White or silver hair..." The Norwegian continued.

"Well there's Gilbert but-" A thought struck Matthias like an arrow and he grinned. "Gilbert...I see..."

With a sigh of relief Lukas looked around the clearing. "Good. I hoped you'd figure it out. Our time's up."

Matthias looked up at the quickly darkening sky and grabbed Lukas' hand. "What!? Why?!"

"It's the rules. I'm sorry." Lukas said quietly and buried his head against the Dane's chest.

"Can't I hold you a little while longer?" Matthias asked, hugging Lukas tightly, desperate.

His vision fading to black, Matthias heard Lukas' voice, his soft, warm breath against his ear.

"That's the funny thing about dreams. You always wake up before the best part."

X X X

For the first time in years, Matthias woke up smiling.

* * *

**((Tak/Takk- Thanks**

**Nei/Nej- No  
**

**Sorry for the shortness of this chapter! I promise the next one will be more lengthy.**

**So now we find out that Matthias is going to try and bring Lukas back from the dead! yay! XD**

**Thank you so much for reading! please favorite, follow review and share! Stay fabulous!))**


	10. Chapter 10

"Hey Gilbert!" Matthias walked into the bar, holding Emil's hand.

Gilbert looked up at the sound of his name, and instantly grinned when he saw who it was. "Well well someone looks happy today!"

The Dane sat down at the counter, facing the albino. "So..." He said casually, picking up a beer. "I heard you came back from the dead?"

Ruby eyes widening, Gilbert quickly rang a bell on the wall. "We ran out of beer! Everyone out while I get another barrel!"

With many grumbles and muttered curses, all of the other customers left the bar. Gilbert was  
very secretive when it came to his beer, and wouldn't let anyone see where he had hidden it. No one knew how it was made or what was in it either. But whatever it was it made the best beer in the world.

Matthias stared at him. "What was that for?!"

Looking around anxiously, Gilbert leaned in close. "You can't just tell anyone that. They'll want to bring back their loved ones too, even though it was already their time to die. Imagine all the chaos and trouble it would cause."

Understanding, the Dane gave a nod, taking a sip of his beer. "Okay. now how did you come back?"

"I'm afraid I don't really know." Admitted Gilbert. "But I know someone who'll know exactly what to do."

"Who?" Asked Matthias.

"Andrei Kogalniceanu. He's a mage up in the North. Very powerful." Gilbert cleaned out a few shot glasses with a dry rag. "I think he's in the village Tamoth. Your home village was Vadir, right? It's only a days journey past that. Should get there in around five days, maybe a week."

"Okay, thanks buddy." Matthias turned to Emil, who had been sitting quietly throughout their conversation. "Can I trust Gilbert to take care of you?"

Emil glanced at the grinning albino, then turned back to Matthias with a blank expression. "_Nei_."

Chuckling under his breath, the Dane ruffled his hair. "I mean- can I trust you to take care of Gil?"

"Yeah...sure."

"Good." Matthias gave him one last hug and picked up his knapsack, slinging it over his shoulder. "So long, Gil. I'm taking your advice. I'll be back."

"See you later, buddy!" Gilbert waved at the retreating Dane.

Once he had left the building, the albino turned to Emil. "You're going to follow him, aren't you?"

"Of course." The Icelandic boy stood up. "If I can get away from you, that is."

"Oops. I guess I accidentally left the door open one day..." Gilbert grinned maniacally.

"Good." Emil began searching the pantry and packing. "Because Matthias won't be the one to bring big brother back. I will."

X X X

Matthias hadn't left the village in three years, so it was no surprise that he got lost.

Everything looked the same to him. Every snow covered rock, tree and frozen stream. His map was slightly outdated, and places where it said had a big, ravishing forest only had burnt down stumps and fallen branches. After a few days of walking, Matthias began to wish he had brought Gilbert with him.  
With an exasperated sigh as he ran into the same cluster of boulders yet again, the Dane sat down in the snow, pulling out a piece of jerky out of his bag for lunch.

"Well what do we have here?" A silky voice purred.

With a start Matthias jumped, looking up at the man standing in front of him. "W-who the hell are you and how did you get here?!" He demanded.

The man just smiled, revealing abnormally sharp and long canines. He stood up straight, adjusting his red coat and the matching small hat on top of his head. "I have many names, so it depends on which one you want. And I'm here because I simply decided to be here." He said cryptically.

Matthias rolled his eyes, standing up. "Can you direct me to the town Tamoth? Or Vadir?"

"I can't." The man said simply, brushing his reddish brown hair out of his face. "I'm not a director. Tried to direct a play once, ended up in a disaster." With a sigh and a flourish he pulled out a map. "But I can give you a new map!"

"Thanks!" Matthias reached out to take it, but the man pulled it back.

"_Nu, nu, nu_, have patience, stubborn man." The stranger grinned wickedly. "I need something in return."

The Dane's eyes narrowed. "Of course...what do you want?" He looked through his pack, frowning when all he saw was the necessary supplies.

The man's smile grew wider, if that was possible. "It's simple really." He said, crossing his arms. "I want your _suflet_."

"My...suflet?"

"Your soul."

Matthias froze in shock, staring at him. "Y...you want...my soul?"

The stranger suddenly broke out into laughter. "_Nu, nu, nu,_stupid man! That's just a thing I say to scare off tourists." His laughter dying down to a psychotic giggle, he ignored Matthias' annoyed glare. "Any candy will be welcome."

Very tired and annoyed with this man's cryptic and insane ways, Matthias searched his bag. "Nothing. No candy." He spat.

Pouting, the stranger sighed. "Alright. What do you have then?" He sat down next to Matthias, taking his bag from him and searching it.

"Hey!" Matthias grabbed the bag, standing up and glaring at the stranger. "Don't try and steal something without me not noticing!"

"What?" The stranger asked, nibbling on one of Matthias' apples. "Oh...here's your map for this apple or two."

Taking the map angrily, the Dane marched off into the forest, muttering many curses under his breath.

"And don't come again!" The stranger bid farewell.

X X X

As the day grew dimmer and began to be taken over by the night, Matthias knew he should find a place to stay for the night. He trudged through the ankle-deep snow, his finger tracing his route on the map. Ah, according to this, he should be coming up on a house soon on the outskirts of a village.

Looking up, the Dane saw a few lights in the distance, twinkling and begging him to come forth. Putting the map back inside his pack, he began to run, knowing the exercise would warm him up. He reached the house, panting, and knocked on it weakly.

The door opened and Matthias grinned. "Hey...could I stay the night-" He froze when he saw the figure standing in the doorway.

"Matth's. W-what are you d'ing h-h're?" Berwald said sharply, the effect ruined by the stutter that haunted Matthias' thoughts. The Swede towered over him, arms crossed, lips pressed together in a thin line.

Squirming under his glare, the Dane stared at his feet. "I...I need a place to stay for the night." He said quietly. "I know things haven't been the best between us, but I was hoping we could forgive each other and put the past behind us..."

Silence. Matthias couldn't tell if Berwald was taking him seriously, or deciding how he should kill him. After a few intense minutes Berwald finally began to speak.

"M'tthias-"

"Berwald? Who's at the door?"

Matthias looked up in surprise at the timid voice. A smaller man clung to Berwald's arm, staring at Matthias like he was a mad man. Maybe he was. He certainly looked the part.

"Wh'ts a matter, Tino?" Berwald asked, not taking his eyes off Matthias.

"W-well..." Tino stammered, looking at his feet. "P-peter's fever has gone down, but he's coughing."

"Berwald, who's this?" Matthias interrupted, giving Tino a friendly smile, which the Finnish man returned with his own nervous one.

Eyes narrowing in suspicion, Berwald wrapped a protective arm around TIno's shoulders. "My w'fe, Tino. Where's L'kas?"

The Dane swallowed nervously. He should of known. Berwald had finally settled down, just like he always wanted .And he even had a kid to raise as his own, which was a lot more than Matthias had right now.

"Lukas..." Matthias trailed off, trying to think of a response, face grim. "Has been taken away. I'm getting him back."

The Swede turned to Tino. "Go b'ck to Peter. I'll be there in a m'nute." He said quietly.

Nodding in confusion, Tino waved slightly to Matthias and returned to the back of the house. You could dimly hear him calming down someone in the back room, then singing softly.

Berwald glared at Matthias. "So...you th'ught you could just w'ltz on in like ev'rything's okay?"

Matthias stared at him in confusion. Was Berwald serious? _"N-Nej_! Berwald listen-"

"_Nej_. That's not how it w'rks anymore." The Swede spat. "I heard the news 'bout Lukas. He's dead. If it w'sn't for you it would've never h'ppened."

Looking anywhere but at Berwald, Matthias shook his head. "_N-Nej_! It's not-"

"SHUT UP." Berwald shouted. He glanced back into the house, then turned back to the Dane, calming down. "Leave. You're not w'lcome here."  
"Berwald please..." Matthias pleaded. His only answer was Berwald stepping back into the house, closing the door behind him. Leaving Matthias alone in the harsh blizzard.

* * *

**((Nei/Nej/Nu- no**

**suflet- soul (romanian)**

**I'm so sorry for the long wait! DX I was distracted by Christmas and stuff (and just plain lazy). I started writing the first part of this Chapter instantly after I wrote after I finished the last, but from then on I got distracted/lazy.**

**But we only have 3 chapters left! 3 I added Romania a bit early in this chapter, and you can see him more in the next! 3 Thank you for 20 FREAKING FOLLOWERS. I LOVE YOU ALL.**

**Thanks for reading! Please favorite, follow, review, share and stay fabulous!**


	11. Chapter 11

_Idiot. Hmmph. You shouldn't be discouraged so easily._

"L...Lukas?" Matthias murmured weakly. He couldn't feel anything anymore. The snow settled around him like he wasn't even there. He had tried to find shelter, but the cold finally got to Matthias, pulling him into an icy slumber. "W...where are you?"

_Quiet. You need to wake up. Don't give up. You're going to get through this._

He could nearly feel Lukas' arms around him. "L-lukas! W-where are you?!" He spun around wildly, the snow falling off of his shoulders. Seeing nothing, Matthias groaned in frustration, slamming his fist against a tree.

_Good! Exercise. Warm up. Be strong. Wake up!_

"Lukas! Stop pushing me away!" Matthias yelled, beginning to run. He could clearly see Lukas' figure in front of him, but whenever he reached the spot where the Norwegian was, Lukas appeared to be farther along the path.

_Wake up, Matthias._

Breath coming in short huffs, heart pounding, Matthias ran deeper into the forest, not noticing the snow and trees turning into shadows.

_Wake up._

If he didn't stop running, Matthias guessed that he would dissolve into shadows as well. Fear overtook him. What if Lukas had been taken as well? But for good this time? He wouldn't be able to live.

_WAKE UP!_

X X X

With a jolt Matthias sat upright in bed, clutching the blankets and panting.

"Well, it's about time you woke up." Purred a familiar voice.  
Matthias groaned and laid back in bed, glaring defiantly back up at the stranger that had given him the map in the woods. "Of course you're the one who saves me."

"And you still haven't thanked me for that yet, Matthias. You were almost dead out there, buried in the snow." The stranger pointed out, handing him a steaming mug of tea. "Careful! It's hot."

"How about I get your name first? You already seem to know mine." The Dane took a cautious sip. A comforting warmness spread throughout his entire body as one drop hit his tongue. "And what is this?" He asked in amazement, quickly drinking the rest of the liquid.

"Oh just a little brew I whipped up." The stranger giggled. Not laughed. Giggled. "Andrei Kogalniceanu, at your service!"

Matthias nearly spat out his tea. "You're Andrei? This whole time?!" He stared at the man in disbelief.

"Yes! And you were looking for me!" Andrei flashed him a toothy grin. "Pity you didn't figure it out earlier!"

Laying back on the bed, the Dane groaned. "I could've gotten the answers from you earlier..." His sky blue eyes widened in realization. "The answers!" He sat up quickly. "You can give them to me!"

"I can...but why should I?" The Romanian challenged, crossing his arms.

Matthias stared at him for a second. He'd have to use his wits, try and outsmart Andrei. Since Matthias was a bit known for his stupidity, and Andrei was obviously very clever, it was going to be hard.

"I'll let you have everything in this bag if you tell me." He held up his knapsack.

Andrei's red eyes glinted. "But I don't know what's inside. There could be nothing." He pouted.

The Dane shook the bag, and items inside shifted. "There's something in there, I promise. But I'm not letting you peek until we agree to the deal."

"I don't accept. There could be just rocks inside." Stated Andrei.

"True." Matthias shrugged. "But who carries a bunch of rocks with him? And you don't really know me. I could secretly be a prince with lots of treasure. Or I could of slain a dragon on the way over."  
"Well lucky for me I've been following you for days, like I always do with anyone who begins to look for me." The Romanian grinned wickedly, poking his nose. "Don't try to outsmart me, you'll just end up hurting yourself."

"Why you little-"

"Sssshh." Andrei suddenly put a hand over Matthias' mouth, his smirk disappearing. "They're here."

Matthias stared at him. Was this guy insane? "Who?" He mumbled behind Andrei's hand.

"Open up!" An angry, high pitched voice shrieked. Probably belonging to a woman. "We're know you're there!"

The Romanian instantly jumped up, looking around for a place to escape."Oh _nu...nu, nu, nu, nu, nu, nu, nu-FUTE_! There's no place out!" He hissed under his breath, his crimson eyes wide with fear.

"Why do we have to get out?" Matthias whispered, confused.

Now the person began to pound on the door. "Open up! You can't hide from me, Andrei!" The woman shrieked shrilly, making the Dane wince.

"S-she's a..." Andrei gulped. "V...vampire hunter."

"...so you're a vampire?"

"NU! Of course not!" Andrei whispered and rolled his eyes, obviously having been through this before. "I'm just a very powerful mage with oddly sharp fangs. But some stupid idiots don't believe me."

The pounding on the door suddenly stopped, and Andrei stared at it. "Oh shit she's planning something...You have to help me here!" To Matthias' surprise he knelt besides the bed, clasping his hands and begging. "I could die at her hands!"

"Well..." Matthias thought for a minute, a sly grin spreading across his face. "...Nah. There's no reason for me to."

"Please! I'll do anything! I-" He stopped suddenly, eyes narrowing when he realized what Matthias wanted. "Fine." Andrei scowled. "I'll tell you how to bring someone back to life."

"Thats what I wanted to hear. Now hide under the bed." Matthias insisted.

Andrei stared at him. "You can't be serious."

"If you want to live then get under the bed. NOW!" The Dane hissed.

Deciding he'd rather be safe than sorry, The Romanian squeezed himself under the bed and Matthias sunk back under the blankets just as the door opened.

"Where is he?" Asked a woman. She was tall and muscular, with long wavy chestnut brown hair and mossy green eyes that glinted dangerously. One hand on her hip and the other holding a sword, Elizaveta Hedervary, head vampire hunter, stood at the foot of the bed, facing Matthias. "I know he's here."

"Who?" Matthias wheezed, looking up at her weakly. "I'm the only one-" He broke into a fit of coughing, shivering.

"...what's wrong with you?" Elizaveta asked coldly, not lowering her sword.

"J-just the plague..." The Dane murmured. He had played sick many times when he was a kid, mostly to escape scooping the dung in the goose pen. Maybe it would work now.

The Hungarian raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "You don't look sick."

"Thats because it's only on s-step one." Matthias replied, pretending to have a coughing fit. "First I h-have a n-normal cold...then it becomes a f-fever...then my sk-skin starts corroding away...piece by piece until I d-die..." He looked up at Elizaveta. "I-it's very contagious...you m-might want to leave."

There was no hesitation. Elizaveta nearly dropped her sword, running out of the room and slamming the door behind her. Yet again, better safe than sorry. After a few minutes of silence Andrei's laugh came from under the bed.

"You're smarter than I gave you credit for, Matthias!" He said, sitting next to Matthias on the bed. "Not by much, but enough to get by.

Matthias bowed slightly. "My pleasure. Now tell me everything I need to know."

"Your wish is my command." Andrei replied. "First- you have to find a place that's sacred to you and Lukas. A place that you both shared a special moment."

"Like what?" Asked Matthias.

"You know what." Andrei winked, grinning mischievously. "Just kidding. Basically any place where you felt a connection with each other. Your first kiss, perhaps, or where you first met or first fell in love. There your lover's soul will be waiting."

Matthias stared at him for a few seconds, letting it process through his mind. "Alright. Then what?"

"Once you touch his soul, you will enter a world in your mind, then have to face three challenges." Andrei replied. "One to give him back his body, one to give him back his mind, and the last to prove that you're worthy of her. Or him. It?"

"Him." Matthias corrected. "His name is Lukas. What if I can't complete these?"

"If you can't complete any of them, you'll wake up and nothing would be changed, except for the fact that no one would remember Lucas, as if he never existed."

Matthias whistled. "Wow...thats...a little harsh."

"Of course. But if you complete the first two, and fail the second, he will live, but you will die." Andrei giggled. "And all of your quest will go to waste! And I suggest you grab your bag and hurry. You only have until sunrise tomorrow to get him back."

Spinning around, Matthias glanced outside at the sun, which was high in the sky. Within seconds he had jumped up, slung his pack over his shoulder and was running into the forest.

X X X

The moon was beginning to rise, and Matthias still couldn't find where Lukas' soul was hiding.

With a sigh, Matthias wandered aimlessly, looking up at the moon every second, knowing that he was wasting his time. It was hopeless. Everything was at an end.

Something soft, warm and round nudged the Dane's shoulder. Spinning around, Matthias turned face to face with a snow white stag.

The white stag.

"You." Matthias whispered, staring straight into it's liquid brown eyes. "You know where Lucas is. He was your guardian, making sure you didn't get killed by the other stupid people that were like me."

The stag nodded, snorting and pawing at the ground.

"Where's Lukas?" He asked. "Can you take me to him?"

As an answer, the stag turned around and began to walk deeper into the forest, its snow white hide shining eerily in the moonlight. It left no footsteps in the snow. Leaving his bag in the snow behind him, Matthias followed, his breath turning into frost.

"Where are we going?" Matthias asked, then slapped himself. "Wait...You can't talk...can you?"

The stag snorted and tossed his head, as if saying 'that would be completely ridiculous.'

Matthias smiled. "Alright. Should've known."

After nearly an eternity of walking, the stag stopped in front of a cave entrance. It blinked at Matthias, waiting patiently.

With a nod, Matthias saluted. "Thanks." He slipped inside the cavern into the darkness. Stumbling blindly, he soon reached the end of the tunnel, stepping out into a snow covered glade, that seemed slightly familiar.

It was the glade that Matthias nearly died in. The glade where he first saw Lucas face to face, and where Lukas saved his life.

Knowing the night would end in a few hours, Matthias looked around the glade wildly, trampling through bushes and brambles. His foot caught on a root, and he tripped, sprawling onto the surface of a frozen pond, his face pressed against the ice. As if on cue, something deep below the ice glowed an electric blue, pulsing like a heartbeat.

"Lukas..." Matthias whispered, smiling. "I found you."

Without any hesitation, he stood up, taking his axe and beginning to hack a hole in the ice. There was a small crash as the surface broke, revealing the dark water below, and filling the glade with light from Lukas' soul underneath.

Rolling up his sleeves and sitting his axe aside, Matthias knelt besides the hole and slipped his hand into the water, reaching for the light. It was deathly cold, and his arm was almost instantly numb. Biting his lip, he leaned in further, fingers reaching desperately for the soul that was out of reach.

"Matthias! STOP!"

Emil's cry startled Matthias, and the Dane tumbled into the water, the icy liquid quickly taking over him, reaching through his clothes, under his skin, into his lungs. Struggling blindly to reach the surface, Matthias only hit the top of the ice.

He felt warm arms around himself, and a breath against his ear.

_Good job, Matthias. You actually made it_. Purred Lukas' voice softly. _But this is easy compared to the challenges. For now...rest. Rest for the fight._

A smile tugging at the corners of his lips, Matthias closed his eyes and let the darkness take over him.

* * *

**((Nu- No (Romanian)  
Fute- Fuck (Romanian again)**

**Ehh sorry for slacking again! DX I've been really bad about it. But I have good news and bad news. Good news- I will work on the next chapter and see if I can get it up either tomorrow night or the night after that! 8D**

**And the bad news is that...there's only two chapters left. D:  
WHERE HAS ALL THE TIME GONE?!**

**Please favorite, review, follow and share! Stay fabulous everyone!))**


	12. Chapter 12

_Matthias Erikson. Arise._

Standing up from where he was kneeling, Matthias blinked in confusion, looking around wildly. He was standing in a circular room filled with light. It had no walls, and when Matthias looked over the edge, only saw misty wisps of cloud. On the floor was engraved an intricate symbol, many knots and lines intertwining with each other, never to part.

_Matthias Erikson. I grow tired of your curiousness. Stand in the center._

Looking for the source of the voice but finding no one, Matthias walked to and stood on a giant pearl imbedded within the center of the room. "Yes?" He asked. "Who are you?"

_Do you, Matthias Erikson, will step forward in attempt to bring back Lukas Bondevik from the dead?_

Matthias licked his lips nervously. "I-I do."

_And will you, Matthias Erikson, give it your all, no matter what the costs?_

"I do..." Matthias repeated, knowing there was slight hesitation in his voice.

_No matter what the costs?_

"Shut up!" Matthias yelled, his voice lost in the wind. "Just get on with it already! We're wasting time!"

_Heh...patience. One skill you've never had and you need to practice_.

Matthias blinked. He was now in a graveyard. Cold, eerie and dark. Many tombstones were broken into pieces, and the only sign of life was a gnarled, bare tree rising above his head. The Dane turned in a slow circle. Maybe he was supposed to fight someone? No, that couldn't be. He left his axe on the ice besides the hole he hacked. In the other world. Where was he, anyways?

_You're in the world between worlds. The place where time means nothing, and neither does life or death. It's time for the first step. Matthias Erikson, you must be punished for your sins._

"W-What?!" Matthias' eyes widened in shock. "I haven't done anything wrong!"

_Of course you have. Everyone has sinned. Everyone must be punished justly. That is the law of the universe._

Someone behind Matthias roughly grabbed his hands, binding them. As an instinct, Matthias struggled, but the more he did so, the tighter the bonds became. Eventually he gave up, letting the strange figure drag him along a stony path. The strange figure that wore a black hood and had no face.

Stones dug into his bare feet, making him wince. Where had his shoes gone? They now dangled from the hand of the figure, whose shoulders were shaking in what was probably silent laughter. As they got closer and closer to a large, magnificent and black as ebony castle, the stones grew sharper and thinner, as if they were pieces of cracked and dirtied glass.

They reached the steps of the palace, where a large crowd was gathered. The figure roughly shoved Matthias to the ground at the feet of their leader, who was seated on a throne of what seemed to look like human bones. Grabbing his hair, the figure forced the Dane to look up at the leader.

"Punish him." Lukas demanded coldly.

Staring at him in confusion, Matthias felt the figure that had brought him here snap shackles onto his wrists and feet, not letting him stand. "Lukas! What's going on?!"

The strange figure took a knife from his pocket and slit open the back of Matthias' tunic, revealing unblemished skin. Matthias' eyes widened as he remembered that one childhood memory when a man in the village had murdered another man, and how they spared his life, but had no hesitation in the way they punished him-

_Crack_.

The whip lashed against Matthias' back, and he cried out in pain. Biting his lip, he told himself that he could endure it. He had suffered through worse. He tasted copper, realizing he had bit so hard on his lip that it bled. Each lick of the whip against Matthias' back hurt like pure hell. Blood poured down his back like a crimson river, leaving the Dane light headed and dizzy. But that wasn't the worst part.

They were laughing at him.

Everyone. The entire crowd, laughing as if it was all some amusing game; and the faster the blood flowed the louder they laughed. Berwald, Gilbert, Alfred, Matthew, Andrei, His father, even Emil, giggling cutely like he did when Matthias tickled him. Lukas remained expressionless, watching him from where he sat on the throne.

Desperate, Matthias threw himself at the Norwegian's feet, the changes yanking him backwards a few inches in protest.

"Make it stop!" He screamed pleadingly. "Make them stop! MAKE THEM STOP!"

Lukas stared at him, biting his lip in thought. Then he threw his head back and laughed.

The crowd's laughter and jeers mixed and multiplied, torturing Matthias with each giggle and tease. The crowd itself had disappeared, but their voices remained inside of his head.

_Stupid. They said. You're so stupid! Can't do anything right. You're also a monster, look at what you did to Alfred and Berwald! You're hopeless._

"S-stop!" Matthias yelled and began scratching at his head in a feeble attempt to silence them. "Y-You're lying!"

_You know it's true. You're 're a monster. You're hopeless._

"I'M NOT!" Blood began to run down the side of Matthias' hair covering his fingers with the sticky red substance. He didn't care. He kept scratching and scratching.

_Stupid. Monster. Hopeless._

He couldn't get them out! No matter what he did they never shut up. Matthias' eyes caught on a knife lying abandoned on the ground.

_Stupid! Monster! Hopeless!_

With shaking hands, Matthias picked up the knife, nearly dropping it as he held it above his heart.

_STUPID! MONSTER! HOPELESS! DEAD!_

"ENOUGH ALREADY!" With a scream Matthias thrust the dull knife into his chest.

Sitting up, a cold sheen of sweat covering his skin, Matthias gasped, breathing heavily. He clutched his chest, where the pain from the knife was slowly dying. There was no wound or cut to be seen, and his clothes were the same as when he got them. He was back in the pavilion, lying in the center where he had started.

_You have been humbled; and punished justly. What did you learn about yourself?_

Matthias couldn't decide if the voice was hiding elsewhere, or just inside his head. He also couldn't decide if it was asking this question just to mess around with him.

"Well..." The Dane stood up shakily, running a hand through his wild hair. "I can't stand it when people make fun of me?"

_Yes. You put up with it, even agreeing and encouraging them. But only because you hate to see them upset._

He shrugged, as it made perfect sense. "You seem to know more about me than I do." He teased.

_That may be. Matthias Erikson, you have rightfully earned Lukas Bondevik's body. Do you swear to keep him from any physical harm at the cost of your own life?_

"I will." Matthias nodded. He would never let Lukas suffer the pain and torment that he himself stood only a few seconds ago. He knew for a fact that he was stronger, and could have handled it longer than Lukas could of.

_Now on to the second step. Matthias Erikson, you must prove your love for Lukas Bondevik._

"I'm ready!" Matthias exclaimed.

"Uncle Matthias! What are you screaming about?" A small boy, about eight, tugged at his arm.

"What?" The Dane looked around wildly. He was no longer in the pavilion but in the forest at home. It was springtime, and everything was in full bloom. The Dane looked down at the small boy, who had scruffy blonde hair and strangely large eyebrows. "Who are you again?"

The boy laughed, nudging Matthias in the arm. "I'm Peter! Your nephew! Now lets go home so we can have dinner with Dad and Mum!"

Matthias grinned, recognizing that name. Peter. Berwald's son. He seemed like a bright, happy kid. Hopefully he was the same in real life, and they could someday have a connection like this.

"Alright Captain Peter!" Matthias saluted. "Lead the way!"

With a high pitched giggle Peter ran off into the forest, Matthias close at his heels. After a few minutes they reached Berwald's house. The very house that Matthias had been locked out of last night.

"Mum! Dad! We're home!" Peter barged in without knocking, as kids always do, Matthias slipping in behind him.

Berwald looked up from his seat near the fire, where he was sharpening his sword. "Hallo, Matthias." He said cheerfully, stutter gone.

"HI!" Matthias grinned. So far this challenge was going smoothly. In fact, it was better than real life. It bothered him though... Each challenge was supposed to be harder than the next, so what was the catch for this scenario?

"One moment. Let me get my wife." The Swede stood up and left the room, leaving Matthias and Peter alone.

"Uncle Matthias, are you okay?" Peter asked him, tugging on his arm. "You're acting weird..."

"Yeah, I'm fine." Matthias brushed him off, lost in his thoughts. What was the challenge?

There was laughter from the back room and Berwald entered, his arm wrapped around his 'wife's' waist, planting a kiss on a blushing cheek that wasn't Tino's.

It was Lukas.

A mix of emotions washed over Matthias, one after the next. Confusion, sadness, anger, jealousy. His fists clenched at his side, and the Dane's happy grin faded.

"Matthias? Lukas asked, staring at him. "Are you alright?"

"No." Matthias snapped, his voice cracking a little. "What the hell are you doing with him?"

Lukas frowned, exchanging confused glances with Berwald before walking over to Matthias and pressing a warm, gentle hand to his forehead. "Are you feeling okay?" He asked. "You know how long me and Berwald have been together...right?"

Matthias shook his head, frowning when Lukas removed his hand. _"N-nej_! You don't love him, you love me. And Berwald loves Tino!"

"Who's Tino?" Berwald asked, hugging Lukas from behind, who in turn brushed a kiss against the Swede's cheek. It made Matthias sick with envy watching them. Lukas had never shown that much love and affection to Mathias in front of everybody.

"I think he ate a bad mushroom." The Norwegian diagnosed. "You should go rest."

Matthias numbly allowed himself to be lead off by Peter to bed, never taking his eyes off Lukas. A small seed called an idea planted itself in his mind, waiting for a chance to grow.

X X X

Matthias couldn't take it any longer. For almost five days he had played along, pretending he was supporting Lukas and Berwald. His only escape from all of this was Peter. He and the sneaky little devil had grown very close, which saddened Matthias when he remembered it wasn't real. Or was it? Maybe the voice had lied when it said there were three challenges. Or- what seemed to be the most likely idea- he had failed the challenges, and as a consequence it was as if Lukas had never loved him.

At this thought the seed of an insane idea grew and grew, until Matthias made up his mind.

It would all be put to rights tonight.

Cold fingers wrapped around the blade of a knife he had stolen during dinner, Matthias slipped into Berwald's room, his footsteps making no sound against the stone floor. Lukas had left early that morning to travel to the village for supplies, and wasn't expected until tomorrow, which explained why Berwald was alone.

Bending over the sleeping Swede, Matthias pulled back the blankets to see Berwald's exposed neck. With a deep breath Matthias reached out with the knife, prepared to slit Berwald's throat.

"MATTHIAS. WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Lukas' yell startled Matthias, the knife slipping out of his hand and clattering on the floor.

His frenzied mind thinking quickly, Matthias swiped the knife off of the floor, pressing the blade against Berwald's throat. "One step and he dies sooner!" He hissed darkly.

Lukas froze. "...Matthias...what are you doing?"

Matthias was breathing heavily, a small smile tugging at the edge of his lips, looking like a madman. "You don't understand, Lukas! I love you. I love you so much it kills me! And I'll do anything to get us back. To have you back!"

The Norwegian was expressionless, silent as he tried to think of a way to bargain for Berwald's life. "You never told me this."

"I did! Every minute of every day! And you never listened!" The Dane spat. "You don't know how much I've been through! How hard it has been without you! And now..." His laughed echoed through the room, cold and cruel. "I'm finally getting you back." He pressed the blade harder against the Swede's skin, and blood began to trickle down his chest.

"_NEI!_STOP!" Lukas cried out, his expressionless mask breaking, revealing his panic and terror. "Matthias you can't do this! I don't love you!"

Those words echoed round and round in Matthias' head. He froze, staring at the floor, refusing to meet Lukas' gaze. "D...do you really love him?" He asked softly.

The Norwegian nodded mutely, and to Matthias shock tears were slowly making his way down his cheeks. This was the first time he had seen Lukas cry. And it terrified him.

Minutes of painful, agonizing silence passed. Ever so slowly, Matthias' grip on Berwald weakened, letting him go. Lukas instantly rushed over to his love's side, burying his head against Berwald's chest, shoulders shaking.

Letting the knife fall to the floor, Matthias silently made his way to the door. Stopping before he left the room, he turned back to glance at the two. "I'm sorry Lukas." He murmured, not caring if they heard him.. "I love you too much to stay...I'll leave you two in peace."

Matthias stepped through the doorway back into the pavilion the door leading into the other world disappearing into light. Stumbling to his knees, Matthias held his face in his hands and began to sob, trembling, his tears evaporating once they hit the floor.

_Love hurts, Matthias Erikson. It takes a lot of self control and love to let someone go, which is exactly what you did. I congratulate you._

"Shut up." The Dane hissed, wiping his tears and standing up, sending a dark glare around the pavilion. "You don't know what it's like."

_Oh, but I do. I know everything, have experienced everything in this world and beyond. Matthias Erikson, you have rightfully earned Lukas Bondevik's heart. Do you promise to love him with all your heart; and if his love for you dies and yours remains, promise to let him go, even though it might break your heart and kill you inside?_

"I will." Matthias' voice cracked and he bit his lip to keep it from trembling. "I will."

_There, there. You need to have all of your strength for the last challenge. To raise your spirits, I will let you know that Lukas is watching you._

Matthias looked up in surprise. "H-he is?! Where is he?! Can he talk to me?!"

_I'm afraid not. But he's proud of how far you've come, and how happy he is that you're making the right choices._

Eyes narrowing in suspicion, Matthias tried to think of a reply. It sounded too suspicious, like same lie they told everyone to keep them going.

_And he says that once he's alive he'll kill you for ignoring Emil_.

Ah. that's better. Matthias grinned. "Alright! Throw the next one at me!"

_The last challenge is the hardest of them all. Matthias Erikson, in order to earn Lukas Bondevik's soul, you must heal yours._

Holding back a gasp of surprise, Matthias stumbled away from the edge of a cliff. Dry underbrush crackling beneath his feet, he looked up at the gray sky, then down at the ground many hundreds of feet off the face of the cliff. He sighed in relief. If he fell of the edge, he probably would've died.

"M...athhi...as..."

Spinning around, the Dane saw a familiar figure crumpled on the ground, eyes fluttering shut, barely breathing.

"LUKAS!" Matthias cried out and ran towards the Norwegian.

The handle of an axe shot out and caught Matthias' foot, making him tumble head over heels, scraping his hands and face against the rough, stony ground. Spitting out blood, He stood up and turned to face his attacker.

It was himself.

Swinging the axe to rest on his shoulders, the other Matthias grinned insanely. His eyes a crimson red instead of the normal sea blue, clothes torn and dirtied, his trembling hands covered in old blood. Is this what he looked like to the others when the anger took over him?

"Step away from Lukas." The other Matthias hissed, stepping between him and the unconscious Norwegian. "He's mine."

"You step away!" Matthias hissed, unstrapping his own axe from the leather straps onto his back. Odin knows how it got there in the first place.

The insane Matthias grinned in anticipation. "So...you want to play for him?" He ran his tongue over his teeth and hopped about excitedly. "A fight to the death? I'll win, just to warn you."

"No, I don't want to fight-" Matthias began to say, but with a loud battle cry, the Other attacked him, swinging his axe from above and bringing it down upon Matthias' head.

Instincts taking over, Matthias blocked the blow with his axe handle. "I don't want to fight!" He repeated, eyes widening.

"There can only be one Matthias." The Other said quietly. "You...or me. Either you jump off that cliff like a fucking coward...or face me."

Glancing back at the edge, then to his other self, Matthias scowled. "Fine." He spat, taking a battle stance. "Have it your way."

Blade against blade, rocks and dust in the air, feet against the ground, scrambling for a place away from the edge of the cliff. Blood soon stained each of their clothes, pouring from numerous cuts and wounds. Matthias began breathing heavily, knowing that he wasn't able to fight for much longer. His other self- his other, insane, blood thirsty self- was much stronger than him.

"Tired, aren't you!?" The Other laughed maniacally. "That's what you get for being a monster! Being killed off by the madness inside you, it's what everyone has been saying!" He kicked Matthias to the ground, pressing his boot to the Dane's chest, earning a groan of pain.

Matthias looked over at Lukas' body, only a few feet away. Slowly, with all the strength he could muster, he reached out towards the Norwegian, only getting his hand stepped on by the Other.

"Are you ready to die?" He leaned in close to Matthias' face. "Ready to face your fate? Your destiny?"

Matthias nearly laughed in irony. Didn't this whole crazy journey start out a few years ago when he was looking for his destiny? The damn stag. Leading him to his horrible, tragic destiny of getting killed while trying to bring his lover back, like in one of those twisted campfire stories.

Or was it?

"Well?" The Other spat. "Are you ready to die?"

_"Well...I can't stand it when people make fun of me?"_

_Yes. You put up with it, even agreeing and encouraging them. But only because you hate to see them upset._

Blue eyes widening, Matthias stared up at the Other in realization. "I...am..." He stammered, not being able to speak correctly because of the pressure of the foot against his chest.

The Other stared at him. "You aren't what?" He grinned again. "Not worth killing? Not supposed to die? Alfred wasn't supposed to die, but look what you did to him."

Matthias winced, knowing everything he said was true. Well...not everything. He could act like an idiot sometimes, but he wasn't stupid. He could've gotten them into trouble countless times, but that didn't mean he was hopeless. He could've killed Alfred and many other horrible things, but that didn't mean... "I...am...not..."

"Not what? What?!" The Other grew impatient, moving his foot off of Matthias' chest. "NOT WHAT?! TELL ME, DAMN IT!"

Sitting up slowly, Matthias smiled up at the Other, catching his breath. "I'm not a monster. And neither are you"

The Other's crimson eyes widened. "I...OF COURSE I AM! Look at me!" He held his arms out wide. "I've killed so many! Everyone fears me! They cower at my feet!"

Struggling to stand, Matthias shakily put a hand on his other self's shoulder. "You're not a monster. You never were. I..." He took a deep breath. "I...forgive you."

From the spot where Matthias' hand rested, slowly spreading to the rest of his body, the Other began to crackle into many wisps of paper, then began to fade away. "W-What the hell is happening?!" He screamed in agony, looking at his hands, which were blown away by the wind.

"I defeated you. Guess you never thought that it would happen, but it wasn't impossible." Matthias shrugged. "Lukas is rightfully mine. Now go rest in peace."

"You'll never see the last of me!" The Other screamed with his last breath. "I'll keep coming back! You will learn how it feels to be a..." His shout grew into silence as he was carried away from the wind.

Suddenly remembering, Matthias ran over and knelt besides Lukas, pulling the Norwegian onto his lap. "Lukas! Oh my god...shit! Wake up! Wake up!" He cried, shaking him gently.

_No worries. He will wake once you return to your world. Matthias Erikson, you have successfully repaired your soul, earning Lukas Bondevik's soul as well. You are no longer Matthias Erikson, but have earned your own name. Rise, Matthias Køhler._

"I would...but I'm a bit busy right now." Matthias muttered, cradling Lukas in his arms and stroking his hair.

Then it began to rain. Matthias blinked as water soaked his clothes, holding Lukas tighter for warmth. A few minutes of this, he realized that it was raining upwards.

_Go back to your own world, and never come back. Good luck with your life, Matthias Køhler._

Looking upwards as they propelled to the surface of the frozen pond, Matthias closed his eyes, gasping for breath as he hit the surface, small, yet strong hands pulling them out.

"Matthias! What the hell are you doing?!"

"E...emil?" Matthias blinked in surprise. "What the hell-"

The Icelandic boy froze, staring at Matthias. "w...who...is...L-lukas...?"

Blinking the water out of his eyes, Matthias looked down at the Norwegian. in his arms. "Y-yes...it's him." He replied. Lukas wrapped in only his the Dane's fur cloak, shivering, barely breathing.

But alive

* * *

**((Nej/Nei- no**

**To make up for my absence a few chapters ago...  
HERES A WHOLE CRAPLOAD OF CHAPTER FOR YA!**

***cough* sorry for my rudeness. Anyways I had SO MUCH FUN writing this chapter. The next chapter will be the last (OH NO! MY BABY'S ALMOST GROWN UP!) though I might write a few alternate endings (correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe they're called omakes?) if you guys want.**

**And you might of noticed I drew a new book cover for this! Look at Denmark's sexiness! *flair***

**Thanks for reading! Please favorite, follow, review and share! Stay fabulously beautiful my readers!))**


	13. Chapter 13

Having no other means of knocking, Matthias kicked the door hurriedly with his foot. "Wake up! GET UP RIGHT NOW!" He yelled, hoping his noise would wake up everyone.

Berwald opened the door, blinking partly from surprise, and partly from the bright rising sun. "Matthias? Wh't are you doing h're?" He asked, calmer than before.

"We need to warm Lukas up fast!" Matthias interrupted, holding the shivering Norwegian tightly, rubbing his arms and trying to warm him up. "He's shivering and won't wake up and he'll die if we don't do anything!"

The Swede opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Tino flying past him, instantly at Lukas' side.

"Oh, the poor thing!" He was saying, feeling Lukas' forehead. "He's burning up with a fever!" With surprising strength, took the Norwegian gently out of Matthias' arms and turned to go back inside.

Berwald put a hand on the Finnish man's shoulder. "Wait-"

"Don't try and stop me Berwald! Just because you call me your 'wife' and I act motherly doesn't mean I can't take charge!" Tino hissed. "Now get your ass out of the way or I swear I'll kill you!"

The Swede stared at Tino as he was pushed aside. Mumbling to himself, Tino quickly took Lukas to the back room, telling everyone - Emil wasn't included for some reason Matthias couldn't figure out - to stay out until he was done.

"That's some wife you got there." Matthias said, holding back a grin.

Berwald nodded. "Y'ah. That's why I l-love h'm."

There was a few minutes of an awkward silence before Matthias spoke up again.

"Do you think...that you can forgive me?" He asked quietly, staring at his feet. "I know I've done horrible things...and I at least want to be on your good side for the rest of my life."

"...hmm..." Berwald watched him quietly. "I th'nk we c-can." He finally said.

With a sigh of relief Matthias pulled Berwald into a hug. "Good! Because otherwise I wouldn't be able to live with myself and-"

The door opened and Tino stepped out. "You can go see Lukas now."

All thoughts of Berwald forgotten- the Swede was actually thankful for that. Matthias didn't know his own strength when it came to hugs- the Dane ran into the room, instantly sitting on a chair besides the bed, watching Lukas sleep.

X X X

For almost a week Matthias never left Lukas' side. Many times Emil, Berwald and Tino had tried to lure him away and get him outside in the fresh air, and many times they had failed. Lukas' fever had gone down quickly, but he still wouldn't wake up. Matthias began to worry that he'd be asleep when Lukas woke up, so he spent many sleepless nights, quietly thinking to himself.

In a sort of half awake slumber, Matthias distantly felt someone's hand in his own. "Matthias?"

Sky blue eyes flickering open, Matthias sat up with a start, looking around wildly, before his sleep-ridden mind finally realized that Lukas was sitting up, glaring at him.

"LUKAS!" He cried out, reaching his arms out to-

Slap.

The Dane put a hand to his stinging cheek. "What was that for?!"

"Moping about for three years and not taking care of Emil." Lukas snapped. "I gave you specific instructions to take care of him and they're all thrown out of the window."

Sighing at Matthias' shocked face, he wrapped his arms around the Dane's waist, resting his head on his shoulder. "I suppose I have to thank you...for saving me."

Matthias hugged him back, relishing the fact that Lukas was real. That he was actually holding him in his arms, stroking his hair like he used to before Lukas died. And that it was not a dream, that it was real.

"I have an idea." Lukas spoke up after many minutes of cuddling.

Grinning, Matthias bent down and pressed a quick kiss on the Norwegian's forehead. "What is it?"

Lukas returned the kiss, but on Matthias' lips. "Well..."

X X X

Matthias knocked on the doorframe of Berwald's bedroom. "Hey! Can I come in for a moment?"

The Swede looked up from where he was sharpening his sword, since he had nothing else to do. "Y'ah? What is it?"

Glancing back at Lukas behind him, and slinging his axe over his shoulder, the Dane smirked. "How about one last raid? In the name of good old times?"

Berwald grinned back. "Well? W-what are we waitin' for?"

_Fin_

* * *

**((Oh my god.**

**It's finished.**

**ITS FINISHED.**

**Just so you guys know- this is the first multi-chapter story that I've ever finished.**

**Signing off at 13 chapters, 25,871 words (also the most words I've written) and 27 most beautiful, amazing followers I've ever had.**

**I want to thank you for going through this amazing journey with me.**

**I HOPE YOU CRIED.**

**If you guys are interested I'll write some alternate endings for you! As a little reward for sticking through this.**

**And who knows, maybe someday if i get inspiration I'll write a sequel?!**

**For the last time on this fanfiction-**

**Thank you so much for reading! Please favorite, review and share. Stay beautiful and fabulous!**

**~RavenWingsFly))**


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